The compassion of the Samaritan: loving by bearing another’s pain.
That was the theme – drawn from the parable of the Good Samaritan – that Pope Leo XIV selected for the 34th World Day of the Sick which was celebrated on February 11.
In his message to commemorate the day, Pope Leo said, “we live immersed in a culture of speed, immediacy and haste – a culture of ‘discard’ and indifference that prevents us from pausing along the way and drawing near to acknowledge the needs and suffering that surround us.”
“Love is not passive,” he added, “it goes out to meet the other. Being a neighbour is not determined by physical or social proximity, but by the decision to love. This is why Christians become neighbours to those who suffer, following the example of Christ, the true divine Samaritan who drew near to a wounded humanity.”
Referring to the Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te, Pope Leo said the care of the sick was not only an important part of the Church’s mission, but an authentic ecclesial action.
“I genuinely hope that our Christian lifestyle will always reflect this fraternal, ‘Samaritan’ spirit – one that is welcoming, courageous, committed and supportive, rooted in our union with God and our faith in Jesus Christ. Enkindled by this divine love, we will surely be able to give of ourselves for the good of all who suffer, especially our brothers and sisters who are sick, elderly or afflicted.”
Chair of Catholic Health Australia (CHA) Jenny Parker said the day served as an important reminder of the humanity at the heart of the healthcare system.
“This day invites us to pause and reflect on those in our society who live with illness, frailty, and the loneliness that can accompany many health challenges. It is a reminder of our shared humanity, and of the compassion we all hope to extend to those in need,” she said.
“Our members and ministries are guided by the story of the Good Samaritan, which calls us to stop, to see and to act.”
Bishop Columba Macbeth-Green, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference’s bishop-delegate for health and CHA Board Director, echoed the call to embrace the Samaritan spirit.
“In each person who suffers, we encounter the suffering Christ. On this World Day of the Sick, may we embody the Samaritan’s compassion – ministering not only through prayers, but through the tangible presence of our care and solidarity,” he said.
“Let us embrace this theme as a call to genuine mercy: to see beyond disease, to enter into the loneliness of the ill, to heal with gentleness, dignity and hope. In doing so, we become instruments of Christ’s compassion in our communities.”
Established by St John Paul II in 1992, the Catholic Church’s World Day of the Sick is held each February on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.