To receive adequate care cannot be a luxury

In his message ahead of the World Day of the Sick, to be marked on 11 February, Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, Pope Francis reminded Catholics that caring for the ill and infirm is not the calling of a few, but part of every Christian’s mission to show mercy. “I would like to remind everyone that closeness to the sick and their pastoral care is not only the task of certain specifically designated ministers; visiting the sick is an invitation that Christ addresses to all his disciples,” the Pope said. “How many sick and elderly people are living at home and waiting for a visit,” he added. “The ministry of consolation is a task for every baptized person, mindful of the words of Jesus: ‘I was sick and you visited me’”. “How can we forget, in this regard, all those patients who, during this time of pandemic spent the last part of their ...