Embracing Vulnerability

The seventh Jubilee event, dedicated to the sick and to the world of healthcare, took place in Rome on 5-6 April. Some 20,000 people from over 90 countries, including patients, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, healthcare personnel, and technicians, flocked to the Eternal City to participate.

The two-day event began on Saturday, 5 April, with a pilgrimage to the Holy Door in Saint Peter’s Basilica. In the afternoon, a series of cultural, spiritual, and artistic events titled, “Dialogues with the City”, took place in Rome’s Squares. Later in the afternoon, Archbishop Rino Fisichella gave a speech titled, “The Value of Giving and Solidarity”, organized by the Ministry of Health.

The Jubilee events continued with a conference titled, “Hospice = Hope”, on palliative care, hosted by the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross and organized by the Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome.

The American Heart Association offered practical support by leading a session to teach cpr techniques in English, Spanish, French, Polish, and German.

The Fratres Association, in collaboration with the National Office for Health Pastoral Care of the Central European Initiative, raised awareness about a blood drive taking place in Piazza San Giovanni in the evening.

Meanwhile, a conference on Blessed Benedetta Bianchi Porro, a medical student who passed away from a rare disease, was held at the Church of Santa Monica.

The second and final day of the Jubilee for the Sick and the World of Healthcare featured a Mass in Saint Peter’s Square, presided by Archbishop Fisichella, who read the homily written by Pope Francis for the occasion.