Pope’s Message for Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care

(November 18, 2010) A just and humane health care is of particular interest to the Christian community, which is central to the care of human person, for his transcendent dignity and his inalienable rights. Health is a valuable asset for the individual person and the communities, to promote, preserve and protect, and thus dedicate all resources and energies to ensure that more people can attain it, said Pope Benedict XVI, in his message sent to the participants at the XXV International Conference of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care, which began in Rome on Thursday November 18 and will conclude on Saturday. This Pontifical Council for Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers founded in 1985 shows the solicitude of the Church for the sick by helping those who serve the sick and suffering, so that their apostolate of mercy may ever more effectively respond to people’s needs. The pontiff expressed his appreciation on the theme of the conference “For Equitable and Human Health Care in the Light of the Encyclical 'Caritas in Veritate.” He called on them to work with greater commitment at all levels so that the right to health is made effective by supporting access to primary health care. The Pope said that he has emphasized in Caritas in Veritate, that the Church's social doctrine always stresses the importance of distributive justice and social justice in the various fields of human relations as it captures the very face of the Son of God who became man for us. The divine image imprinted in our brother gives dignity to each person and calls for the need to respect, care and provide service, he added. The Pontiff said that the Christian community, following in the footsteps of our Lord, must fulfil the mandate to go into the world to "teach and treat the sick and be at the service of the sick and suffering which is an integral part of our mission to witness the full salvation, which includes health of body and soul.