Pope Leo XIV has invited the global Church to renew its commitment to compassion and closeness with those who suffer, urging believers to rediscover love through shared pain rather than distance or indifference. In his message for the upcoming World Day of the Sick, the Pope reflected on the Gospel image of the Good Samaritan as a lasting guide for Christian life. He described this parable as a reminder that love is never passive but chooses to stop, look, and respond to suffering with concrete care. In a world shaped by speed and efficiency, the Pope observed that many are tempted to pass by pain rather than confront it. Yet he insisted that authentic Christian witness emerges precisely when believers choose presence over avoidance. By drawing near to the wounded, the sick,k and the vulnerable, Christians not only serve others but make visible the compassion of Christ himself within everyday life and social relationships.
The Pope encouraged the faithful to view compassion not as an isolated act of generosity but as a shared mission rooted in communion. Recalling his pastoral experience in Latin America, he spoke of families, healthcare workers, volunteers, and pastoral ministers who quietly embody this Samaritan spirit through daily service. Their care, he noted, gives compassion a social dimension that extends beyond individual goodwill. Reflecting on the teaching of Pope Francis in the encyclical Fratelli tutti, Pope Leo XIV emphasized that mercy is fulfilled within relationships that bind people together rather than through solitary efforts. He underlined that care for the sick is not a secondary concern but a genuine expression of the Church’s mission. Through this lens, suffering becomes a place of encounter where faith is lived through action, responsibility,y and solidarity, revealing the moral health of a society and the depth of its commitment to human dignity.
Looking ahead to the celebration of the World Day of the Sick on 11 February in Chiclayo, the Pope called for a Christian lifestyle shaped by fraternal love and sustained prayer. He reminded believers that love of neighbor is the tangible sign of love for God and that service to the suffering is inseparable from faith itself. By invoking the care of the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title Health of the Sick, Pope Leo XIV entrusted all who suffer to her maternal protection. He also extended his blessing to families, caregivers, healthcare professionals, ls and pastoral workers who accompany the sick with patience and fidelity. In doing so, the Pope framed illness not as a marginal reality but as a central place where the Church is called to witness hope, consolation, ion and shared humanity in a wounded world.
