Pope Video: Pray for the terminally ill
In the Pope Video for February 2024 we are called to pray for the terminally ill.
The Pope Video for February, the month in which the Church celebrates the World Day of the Sick, contains an appeal that the terminally ill “will always receive the necessary medical and human care and assistance” and “Cure if it is possible; always take care”, Pope Francis affirms, citing John Paul II in the video message. The Pope also states that families play a “decisive role” and that they “should not be left alone.”
Father Frédéric Fornos S.J., International Director of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network asks: “Why should we pray for this intention? Wouldn’t it be enough for the Pope to make a statement regarding this topic? Does prayer really change anything? These are the questions we may ask ourselves.” Father Fornos continues, “When illness knocks on the door of our life, the need arises in us that someone be close us, to look into our eyes, to take us by the hand, to show us tenderness and care for us, like the Good Samaritan in the Gospel parable. This closeness and human affection toward the terminally ill might seem to be an accessory or secondary in relation to medical assistance. Prayer might fall into this category too. Nevertheless, this assistance is essential. It is love that is expressed through these actions and our prayer. In these difficult moments, families play a decisive role, Pope Francis says. Let us pray, then, that the terminally ill and their families might always receive the necessary care and assistance.”