Nicodemus Tebatso Makhalemele
Sickness and suffering are so commonplace in our world that it would seem we should not make too much fuss about them. The sick, like the poor, are always with us (Mk. 14:7). Health-care facilities – hospitals, clinics, leprosariums, centres for the disabled, nursing homes and day-care centres are always full. Heath-care workers – doctors, pharmacists, nurses, chaplains, counselors, men and women religious, administrators and volunteers – are constantly in demand. But no matter how common, sickness and suffering are still very strange and will always be full of mystery. They present a problem to all who want to believe in a just and fair world; they create difficulties for continuing faith in the goodness and kindness of God.
Pope John Paul II was no stranger to suffering. At the age of eighteen, Karol Wojtyla was hit by a train that left him unconscious with a shoulder dislocated. In 1992, the Pope had colon surgery, involving removal of noncancerous tumor. The next year he fell and dislocated a shoulder. In 1994, he suffered a broken femur in another fall. An appendectomy followed in 1996. During these years, moreover, a Parkinson-like condition, if not the disease itself, began to reveal its visible effects.
From the beginning of his long pontificate, the Holy Father wrote and spoke about sickness and suffering on a number of occasions. His theology of sickness and suffering, however, has not been fully exhausted, due to a number of reasons. John Paul II, did not write a single theological treatise on the theology of sickness and suffering; nor did he write a number of easily accessible theological articles. Rather, his thought on this matter has to be gleaned from a wide variety of sources: his thirteen Messages for the Annual Celebration of the World Day of the Sick, (from 1993 until 2005), the Apostolic Letter: Salvifici Doloris, the frequent and often lengthy reflections on the Christian meaning of Suffering, contained in many of his major Encyclicals, Apostolic Exhortations and other authoritative documents, and the many addresses, homilies, catechetical instructions and occasional talks which have the sick and suffering as their main point of concern.
In 1993, Pope John Paul II instituted the Annual World Day of the Sick as a way to bring compassion and greater attention to the sufferings of humanity, as well as to the mystery of suffering itself. The event is held on February 11th each year on the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. It is from these messages that this study will try to extract the theology of sickness and suffering according to John Paul II.
For the purpose of this study the material from the above-mentioned messages has been grouped thematically rather than chronologically, under the following headings or chapters: [1]. The Church and Sickness; [2]. Christ and Suffering; [3]. Believers and Sickness and [4]. the Christian Meaning of Human Suffering and Sickness.
- The Church and Sickness
1.1. The Church’s Concern for the Sick
In almost all his messages on the World Day of the sick, from 1993-2005, Pope John Paul II repeatedly affirms that the Christian community has always paid particular attention to the sick and the world of suffering in its multiple manifestations. From its very beginning, the church has always been committed to “give the suffering the comfort not only of physical assistance but also of spiritual support, by opening before them the consoling horizons of faith.”[i]
The establishment and the annual celebrations of the World Day of the Sick are of great significance in the present circumstances, because they are not only in line with the mission and pastoral care that the church gives to the sick and suffering, but they also address a felt need at this point in time in the history of both the church and humanity: the present age though marked by “scientific, technological and especially medical progress in the service of human life,”[ii] remains, however, “a society which is sick and creating profound distortions in man.”[iii] It is a sick society because of its raging egoism, individualistic utilitarianism often proposed as a model for life, negation of indifference which is quite often displayed in regard to man’s transcendent destiny, and crisis in moral and spiritual values, which so deeply troubles mankind.[iv]
The Holy Father observes that even though the present era bears what he calls “signs of hope”, namely, unprecedented scientific and technological breakthroughs and new discoveries especially in the field of medicine, the church still has a special role to play. She “encompasses with her love all those who are afflicted by human misery, and she recognizes in those who are poor and who suffer, the image of her poor and suffering founder.”[v] For John Paul II, the life of the church is to a large degree also the history of significant pages of concern for the sick and suffering. Today as well, the health-care apostolate continues to have an important place in the Church’s apostolic activity: the Christian community “is responsible for many places of assistance and care, and she works among the very poor with appreciated attention in the health care field, thanks to the generous efforts of many brothers in the Episcopate, priests, religious and many lay faithful, who have developed a marked sensitivity to anyone in pain.”[vi]
In most of his addresses delivered on the annual Word Day of the Sick, one thing comes out clearly, namely, the Holy Father perceives the church’s care for the sick and suffering as a holistic one, that is, “care that pays attention to the biological, psychological, social and spiritual needs of the sick and of those around them.”[vii] The Pope goes on to maintain that the reality of suffering and the appeal to bring both physical and spiritual relief to the sick do not concern believers alone, but challenge all of humanity, marked by the limitations of the mortal condition.[viii]
For John Pope II, the church’s concern for the sick and suffering urges her to show solidarity with those in pain. “This commitment requires that the Church community live out communion: only where men and women, through listening to the Word, prayer, and celebration of the sacraments, become “one single heart and one single soul,” do fraternal solidarity and the sharing of goods grow, and what St. Paul reminds the Christians in Corinth becomes a reality: “If one member suffers, all the members suffer together” (1Cor. 12:26)[ix]. When believers collaborate with men and women of good will and commit themselves to this communion and solidarity, they will transform human society into what the Holy Father calls a “house of hope”.
The Church’s concern for the sick and suffering calls her to intensify her efforts to translate the communion suggested by the Apostle’s words into concrete projects. This means that the followers of Christ should devote themselves to presenting the subjects of health and illness in the light of the Gospel; encourage the advancement and defense of life and the dignity of the human person, from conception until natural death; and make preferential option for the poor and the marginalized concrete and visible.”[x]
As the Church continues its mission to the sick and suffering, it should do so in a prophetic manner. For John Paul II, the ecclesial community becomes prophetic in her humble service to suffering humanity when it “stimulates awareness of the serious and inescapable problems concerning health policy and care.”[xi] The Pope goes on to observe that “about two thirds of mankind still lack essential medical care, while the resources employed in this sector are too often insufficient.”[xii]
The supreme Pontiff urges Christian communities of the various churches to minister to those who suffer and experience pain as a contribution to the process of evangelization. Christians are being called to embrace the Cross of Christ so as to give the world the reason for its Gospel hope (1Peter 3:15)[xiii] The Christian church is committed to the service and care of the sick because it is convinced that life is a gift from God as a sublime expression of his love for humanity and that it continues to be so even when it declines.[xiv]
According to John Pope II, the ecclesial community is by its very nature and mission called to share in the joys and hopes, sorrows and anxieties of the people of every age. To be true to this sublime vocation, the Church has “constantly accompanied and sustained humanity in its struggle against pain and its commitment to improve health.”[xv] For this reason, the church cannot turn a blind eye to the sick of every age and condition because they are called to bear witness and to assure the victory of the culture of life over the culture of death every where.[xvi]
The church is guided in her approach to the sick and suffering, not only by the Gospel and example of her founder, but also by a precise and all round view of the human person created in the image of God and endowed with a God–given dignity and inalienable human rights.[xvii] And this, for John Paul II, constitutes the basis of sound ecclesial pastoral health care.
1.2. The Church Continues the Mission of Christ
In his messages on the annual World Day of the Sick, the Holy Father reiterates the fact that the ecclesial community continues the mission of Christ. In his own words: “Jesus’ gestures of salvation towards “all whose who were the prisoners of evil” (Roman Missal, Com. Pref. VII) have always been significantly perpetuated in the church’s concern for the sick.”[xviii] Following in the foot-steps of her founder, Jesus Christ, whom the New Testament writings affirm that “was sent by the Father to bring good news to the poor… to heal the contrite of heart (Lk. 4:18), to seek and save what was lost (Lk. 19:10), the church encompasses with her love all those who are afflicted by human misery, and she recognizes in those who are poor and who suffer, the image of her poor and suffering founder.”[xix]
During the fifth World Day of the Sick, in 1997, the Holy Father appealed to public leaders, international and national organizations in the health field, health care workers, volunteer associations, and all people of good will, to join in the commitment of the church, “which, in adhering to Christ’s teaching, seeks to announce the Gospel through the witness of service to those who suffer.”[xx]
Addressing health-care workers, at the shrine of Our Lady of Harissa, on the hills overlooking Beirut, in Lebanon, the Pontiff urged them to imitate the example of Christ who “has taught man to do good by his suffering and to do good to those who suffer”.[xxi] He went on to remind them that as members of the church, they are called by their vocation and profession to be guardians and servants of human life as Jesus did.
In the year 2000, Pope John Paul II chose as the theme of the annual World Day of the Sick: “Contemplate the Face of Christ in the Sick.” In the process of developing this theme he observed that from her very beginning, and following the example and teaching of Christ her founder, the Church has enacted the Gospel parable of the Good Samaritan, revealing and communicating her healing love and the consolation of Jesus Christ, through her untiring commitment to the sick and suffering. The Church did all this as an intransgressible response to Christ’s command, who, as the Gospel puts it: “called to him the twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every infirmity” (Mt. 10:7-8).[xxii]
Turning his thoughts to countless men and women all over the world who are active in the field of health care, as directors of health care centres, chaplains, doctors, researchers, nurses, pharmacists, paramedical workers and volunteers, the Holy Father urged them to “selflessly minister to the sick, the suffering and the dying, drawing strength and inspiration from their faith in the Lord Jesus and from the Gospel image of the Good Samaritan.”[xxiii] The Pontiff went on to remind them that as followers of Christ, they should always bear in mind the Lord’s command when he says: “Do this in memory of me”, (cf. Lk 22:19-20); and never loose sight of the fact that “Christian health care institutions continue Jesus’ own mission of caring for the weak and the sick, as places where the culture of life is affirmed and secured.”[xxiv]
1.3. Establishment of the World Day of the Sick
Care for the suffering and the sick has always been, according to Pope John Paul II, an integral part of the Church’s ministry. The Christian community has done this following in the foot-steps of its founder, Jesus Christ, whom the New Testament writings affirm that “he went about doing good and healing” (Acts 10:38). Conscious of this long tradition of ministering to the suffering and sick, John Paul II instituted the World Day of the Sick which would be celebrated every year on the 11th of February, a day which according to the Catholic liturgical calendar coincides with the commemoration of Our Lady of Lourdes.[xxv]
The World Day of the Sick was first celebrated on the 11th of February 1993. Its institution was effected on 13th May 1992. In the letter instituting the World Day of the Sick, the Pope observed that this annual celebration would be “a special time of prayer and sharing, of offering one’s suffering for the good of the church and of reminding everyone to see in his sick brother or sister the face of Christ who, by suffering and dying and rising achieved the salvation of mankind.”[xxvi] In the same letter of institution, the Holy Father reminded the entire Church and all people of good will, that “the reality of suffering and the appeal to bring both physical and spiritual relief to the sick do not concern believers alone, but challenge all mankind, marked by the limitations of the mortal condition.”[xxvii]
In short, the World Day of the Sick was instituted because John Paul II wanted, among others, to remind the ecclesial community and all people of good will that life is a gift from God and man is merely its steward and guardian. In addition, he wanted the church and humanity, with renewed spirit of service, to commit themselves in the face of the great mystery of pain and illness.
1.4. Specific Aims of the World Day of the Sick
Beginning with the 1993 message, up to the last one in 2005, the Holy Father does not cease to put each year in context by pointing out the specific aim of the celebration of the World Day of the Sick. In his message during the First World Day of the Sick, Pope John Paul II observed: “the universal Church, with a renewed spirit of service, is preparing to celebrate the first World Day of the Sick as a special occasion for growth, with an attitude of listening, reflection and effective commitment in the face of the great mystery of pain and illness.”[xxviii]
The following year, the Holy Father announced that the World Day of the sick is an effort to simulate awareness of the serious and inescapable problems concerning health policy and care. This awareness campaign is urgent because statistics indicate that about two-thirds of the world population still lack essential medical care, while the resources employed in this sector are too often insufficient.[xxix]
In his opening remarks during the third World Day of the Sick, in 1995, the Holy Father observed that the establishment of the World Day of the Sick, seeks among others, “to give new impetus to the Christian community’s pastoral and charitable action in such a way as to ensure that this presence will be increasingly effective and incisive in society.”[xxx]
Commenting on the Last Judgment (Mt. 25:31-46), John Paul II reminded his audience that the least of the brothers of Christ are the sick (Mt. 25:36), who are often alone and marginalized by society. He went on to remark that one of the main goals of celebrating the World Day of the Sick is to make public opinion sensitive to the plight of the sick and to be close to those suffering so that they will make their suffering fruitful.[xxxi] The World day of the Sick also seeks to encourage and empower health care workers and those who are at the side of the sick and suffering to dedicate their service to the sick as though they were doing it to Christ.
The annual celebration of the World Day of the Sick gives the Church community the opportunity to pause in devout recollection before the mystery of pain and suffering and to contemplate the Christian meaning of suffering.[xxxii] For John Paul II, Christians have to reflect on salfivic pain because of the Incarnation of Christ. In his own words: “Christ has drawn near… to the world of suffering by the very fact that he has taken this suffering upon himself; he took on the human condition with all its limits, including death (cf. Ph. 2:7-8).”[xxxiii]
During the annual celebration of the seventh World Day of the Sick, which took place in Lebanon, on the 11th of February 1999, the Supreme Pontiff stated that such an event “invites the universal Church to ask herself about her service towards condition which, by highlighting more than any other the limitations and frailty of human creatures, also calls for their mutual solidarity.”[xxxiv] The Holy Father went on to remind his audience that 1999 will be dedicated to a more attentive reflection on God the Father, and in a special way on the theological virtue of charity, in its twofold reality as love of God and neighbour. The World Day of the Sick “thus becomes an important time to think of the Father and a necessary reminder of the primary commandment of love, for our observance of which we will all be called to give an account (cf. Mt. 25:31-46).[xxxv]
In the year 2000, the Holy Father coupled the aim of the World Day of the Sick with the celebration of the Great Jubilee of Redemption and the close of the second millennium. He observed that the eighth World Day of the Sick “will find the Christian community dedicated to re-examining the reality of illness and suffering in the perspective of the mystery of the Incarnation of he Son of God, and to draw from this extraordinary even new light to illumine these basic human experiences.”[xxxvi]
During the ninth World Day of the Sick, in 2001, whose theme was The New Evangelization and the Dignity of the Suffering Person, Pope John Paul II remarked that on this World Day, “the Church intends to stress the need to evangelize in a new way this area of human experience, in order to encourage its orientation to the overall well-being of the person and the progress of all people in every part of the world.”[xxxvii] The Holy Father went on to explain that the Day would be an occasion of prayer and support for the countless institutions devoted to the care of the suffering. The celebration of the World Day of the Sick is also meant to encourage the many priests, religious and lay believers who seek to respond in the Church’s name to the expectations of the sick people, while paying attention to the weakest and those struggling the most, in order to assure the victory of the culture of life over the culture of death everywhere (cf. Evangelium Vitae, n. 100).[xxxviii]
The 11th February 2002 marked the tenth anniversary of the World Day of the Sick. In his message to celebrate this event, the Holy Father reiterated the specific aims of this important in event. He stated that the World Day of the Sick is always a moment of intense prayer for all who suffering pain and infirmity. It is equally an expression of solidarity with those who suffer, “a solidarity arising from our awareness of the mysterious nature of suffering and its place in God’s loving plan for every individual.”[xxxix] The Pope went on to remind his hearers that this annual event provides the Christian community an occasion for serious reflection and study on the Christian response to the world of human suffering which seems to grow by day. This day is also a special moment to re-examine the role and task of Christian health care facilities, hospitals and personnel, in order to “emphasize and reaffirm the true Christian values which should inspire them.”[xl]
Commenting on the command of the Lord at the Last Supper: “Do this in memory of me,” John Paul II observed that these words do not only refer to the breaking of bread, but also allude to the body given and the blood poured out by Christ for us (Lk 22:19-20), in other words, to the gift of self for others. For this reason, the Holy Father stated that “through the celebration of the World Day of the Sick, the Church expresses her gratitude and appreciation for the dedicated services of many priests an, religious, and laity engaged in health care, who selflessly minister to the sick, the suffering and the dying, drawing strength and inspiration form their faith in the Lord Jesus and from the Gospel image of the Good Samaritan.”[xli]
During the celebration of the 11th World Day of the Sick which was held in Washington, D.C., the Supreme Pontiff remarked that North America is experiencing a new phenomenon, namely, the emergence of a new model of society which bears the stamp of the culture of death: unborn children, helpless victims of abortion; the elderly and incurable ill, subjected at times to euthanasia; and the many other people relegated to the margins of society by consumerism and materialism.[xlii] It was against this background that the John Paul stated that the World Day of the Sick is a special occasion to make sure that the Gospel of life and love resound loudly and parishes and dioceses are renewed in their commitment to the pastoral care of the sick,[xliii] while for those who minister to the sick and suffering on daily basis this day “offers a special opportunity to strive to be ever more generous disciples of Christ the Good Samaritan.”[xliv]
In 2005, a few months before his death on the 2nd of April, Pope John Paul II presided over the celebration of the 13th World Day of the Sick that was held in Yaoundé, Cameroon. This event coincided with the tenth anniversary of the historic gathering of the African Synod of Bishops which took place in 1995. The Holy Father stated that the choice of the venue of this year’s celebration of the World Day of the Sick offers an opportunity to express real solidarity to the peoples of Africa, a continent tried by serious inadequacies in the health-care sector.[xlv] He went on to proclaim that the “World Day of the Sick aims to stimulate reflection on the subject of health, whose fullest meaning also alludes to the harmony of human beings with themselves and with the surrounding world.”[xlvi] This day also offers everyone in the African continent “a possibility of understanding better the importance of pastoral health care.”[xlvii]
- Christ and Sickness
2.1. In the Death and Resurrection of Christ, Human Suffering finds its Deepest Meaning and Saving Value
During the celebration of the first World Day of the Sick on the 11th of February 1993, Pope John Paul II publicly stated that it is only in Christ, the incarnate Word, Redeemer of mankind and victor over death that humanity finds satisfactory answers to fundamental questions posed by the realities of suffering, illness, pain and death. The Holy Father proclaimed: “In the light of Christ’s death and resurrection illness no longer appears as an exclusively negative event; rather, it is seen as a “visit by God”, an opportunity “to release love, in order to give birth to works of love towards neighbour, in order to transform the whole of human civilization into a civilization of love” (Apostolic Letter Salvifici doloris, n. 30).[xlviii]
The Pope argues that even though illness is perceived in everyday experience as a frustration of the natural life force, for believers it becomes an appeal to “read” the new, difficult situation in the perspective which is proper to faith. He maintains that “if the Lord Jesus, Incarnate Word, has declared “Blessed the afflicted” (Mt 5:4), it is because a higher point of view exists, that of God, who calls everyone to life and, though by way of pain and death, to his eternal kingdom of love and peace.”[xlix]
The Holy Father acknowledges that even though it sometimes happens that under the weight of acute; unbearable pain someone directs a reproach at God, accusing him of injustice; such a “lament dies on the lips of whoever contemplates the Crucified One suffering “voluntarily” and “innocently” (Salvifici doloris, n. 18). We cannot reproach a God uniting himself to human sufferings!”[l]
In the course of the celebration of the third World Day of the Sick, Pope John Paul II exhorted believers who suffer in body and in spirit to recognize and accept God’s call for them to be workers of peace through the offering of their pain. He urged them to “look trustingly towards Jesus, the “Suffering Servant”, asking him for the strength to transform the trial afflicting you into a gift. Listen with faith to his voice repeating to each of you: “Come to me, all who are weary and oppressed, and I will give you rest” (Mt. 11:28).[li]
In 1997, the Holy Father observed, among others, that the World Day of the Sick was situated in the first year of the Triduum preparatory to the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000: a year entirely dedicated to reflection on Christ. Talking about Christ and the sick, the Pope invited them to “look at the Crucified One so as to learn from Him, who, in completely taking on the human condition, freely wished to burden Himself with our sufferings and offer Himself to the Father as an innocent victim for us men and for our salvation, “with loud cries and tears” (Heb. 5:7). He thus redeemed suffering, transforming it into a gift of salvific love.”[lii]
Addressing the sick and suffering in the year 2000, the Pope emphasized the fact the year of the Great Jubilee of Redemption is an invitation and reminder to all Christians about the centrality of the Christ event, which among others, reveals to humanity the meaning of suffering and the riches of the Redemption brought by Christ the Saviour.[liii] And the Supreme Pontiff reminded the suffering and the sick that “the imitation of Jesus, the suffering Servant, has led great saints and simple believers to turn their illness and pain into a source of purification and salvation for themselves and for others.”[liv]
In his homily during the celebration of the World Day of the Sick held, at Our Lady of Good Health at Vailankanny, a well-known Marian pilgrimage centre in South India, Pope John Paul II proclaimed that even though the Church finds much that is valid and noble in non-Christian interpretations of suffering, her own understanding of this great human mystery is unique. The peculiarity of the Christian perception of suffering is because of the singular nature of the death and resurrection of Christ. He invited his listeners to imitate Christ and contemplate the mystery of his death and resurrection since in it God has given humanity the answer to the question of the meaning of human suffering. In his own words: “Through his suffering on the Cross, Christ has prevailed over evil and enables us too to overcome it. Our sufferings become meaningful and precious when united with his. As God and man, Christ has taken upon himself the sufferings of humanity, and in him human suffering itself takes on a redemptive meaning. In this union between the human and the divine, suffering brings forth good and overcomes evil.”[lv]
In 2004, the World Day of the Sick coincided with the 150th Anniversary of the proclamation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception. The Holy Father told believers that this dogma introduces believers into the heart of the mystery of Creation and Redemption, in other words, it is about the central role of Jesus Christ in the mystery of creation and salvation. And the Pope insisted that the key to these mysteries is the incarnation, through which God united himself with humanity in Jesus Christ.. In his own words: “In the death and Resurrection of the Redeemer human suffering finds its deepest meaning and its saving value. All of the weight of humanity’s affliction and pain is summarized in the mystery of a God who, taking on our human nature, was humiliated “for our sake… to be sin” (2 Cor. 5:21).”[lvi]
Reflecting on the mystery of the Cross, John Paul II proclaimed that from the Cross of Christ springs the answers to humanity’s most worrying questions. Jesus is the God who suffers for humankind. He takes upon himself the sufferings of everyone and redeems them. Christ also suffers with humanity, he is the one who enables those who suffer to share their pain with him. For this reason, the Holy Father affirms: “United to the suffering of Christ, human suffering becomes a means of salvation; this is why the believer can say with St. Paul: “Now I rejoice in my suffering for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church” (Col. 1:24).”[lvii]
2.2. Through Christ, Suffering has been Redeemed
During the celebration of the first World Day of the Sick, John Paul II addressed in special way those he referred to as the main actors of this World Day, namely, the sick people all over the world. He urged them to bear their pain and suffering in the spirit of unshakeable faith in Christ the Redeemer, for it is only when their sufferings are joined to those of Christ that they take on extraordinary value for the life of the entire ecclesial community and the good of humanity.[lviii] In other words, the Holy Father is inviting the sick to accept their sufferings with faith and live them as Christ did because through his afflictions suffering itself has been transformed and redeemed.
According to Pope John Paul II, the perfect manifestation of saving value of pain and suffering is found in the death and resurrection of Christ. Through his passion salvation has been accomplished and suffering redeemed and given a new meaning. In his own words: “In the cross of Christ not only has redemption been fulfilled through suffering, but suffering itself has also been redeemed” (Salvifici Doloris, 19). Christ “opened his suffering to man”, and in him man rediscovers his sufferings, “enriched with a new content and a new meaning” (Ibid., 20).”[lix]
In his message on the third World Day of the Sick, the Pope reminded the suffering believers that it is only when they associate their suffering with that of Christ, the Suffering Servant, that they become workers of peace. In other words, their sufferings when united with Christ’s have the capacity to bring them a desired change of heart and much needed change in peoples’ lives. The Holy Father insists: “If there is a suffering which provokes death, there is also, however, according to God’s plan, a suffering leading to conversion and the transformation of man’s heart (cf. 2 Cor. 7:10): it is the suffering which, as a completion in one’s own flesh of “what is lacking” to Christ’s passion (cf. Col. 1:24), becomes a reason for and source of joy, for it generates life and peace.”[lx]
Addressing multitudes of pilgrims and thousands of the sick and suffering believers, gather at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima, in Portugal, the successor of Peter admitted that in everyday experience, illness and suffering are perceived as a frustration of the natural life force and a limit and a trial for the human mind. He remarked that “in the light of Christ’s Cross, however, they become a privileged moment for growth in faith and a precious instrument to contribute, in union with Jesus the Redeemer, to implementing the divine project of salvation.”[lxi]
In his homily marking the sixth World Day of the Sick, John Paul II reflected on the mystery of the Incarnation (Jn. 1:14). He insisted that through Jesus Christ, “God with us” the Father forcefully reveals his love for humanity. In Christ, God has gone in search and man and become one of us, thus transforming and redeeming the human condition from within. The Pope declared: “Christ did not come to remove our afflictions, but to share in them and, in taking them on, to confer upon them a salvific value: by becoming a partaker in the human condition, with its limits and its sorrows, He redeemed it. The salvation accomplished by Him, already prefigured in the healings of the sick, opens up horizons of hope for all who find themselves in difficult time of suffering.”[lxii]
The celebration of the eighth World Day of the Sick took place in Rome, in the context of the Great Jubilee of Redemption. Pope John Paul II made a special appeal to all present to re-examine the reality of illness and suffering in the perspective of the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God, and to draw from this extraordinary event new light to illumine these basic human experiences of suffering, illness and death.
During the annual celebration of the 13th World Day of the Sick, the Holy Father urged the Church in Africa to pay special attention to pastoral health care. He argued that it is precisely in the world of illness and suffering that human destiny is played out and the answers to the ultimate question about human existence are confronted. It is by opening the human mind to the reality of mystery of Christ that human suffering gains a new meaning and suffering itself cease to be a frightening reality. The Pope insisted that “it is precisely in times of sickness that the need to find adequate responses to the ultimate questions about human life is the most pressing: questions on the meaning of pain, suffering and death itself, considered not only as an enigma that is hard face, but a mystery in which Christ incorporates our lives in himself, opening them to a new and definitive birth for the life that will never end.”[lxiii]
2.3. In the Suffering Christ Every Sick Person finds the Meaning his or her Afflictions
During the celebration of the fifth World Day of the Sick held at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima, in Portugal, the Holy Father addressed those who suffer in body and spirit. He urged them to resist the temptation to regard pain and suffering as an experience which is only negative, to the point of doubting God’s goodness. He proclaimed the Church’s conviction that “in the suffering Christ every sick person finds the meaning of his or her afflictions. Suffering and illness belong to the condition of man, a fragile limited creature, marked by original sin from birth on. In Christ, who died and rose again, however, humanity discovers a new dimension to its suffering: instead of a failure, it reveals itself to be the occasion for offering witness to faith and love.”[lxiv]
Addressing thousands of pilgrims gathered at St. Peter’s Square, Rome, to celebrate the eighth World Day of the Sick, Pope John Paul II told them that the Christian community is celebrating the year 2000 as the Holy Year. This special event in the Church should, among others, be an occasion for what the Pope called “the purification of memory”. In other words, it is call to all who bear the name of Christian to look back and recognize the wrongs they have done in the course of the two thousand year of Christian history. The Pope went on to argue that much need conversion and purification will also be promoted in the world of suffering and health. He invited the suffering and the sick to accept their pain and illness and turn into a source of purification and salvation for themselves and for others. They should bear in mind that “just as the Resurrection transformed Christ’s wounds into a source of healing and salvation, so for every sick person the light of the risen Christ is a confirmation that the way of fidelity to God can triumph in the gift of self until the Cross and can transform illness itself into a source of joy and resurrection.”[lxv]
The celebration of the ninth World Day of the Sick took place in the Cathedral of Sydney, Australia, in 2001. In his message to the sick and suffering the Pope invited them to contemplate the mystery of the incarnate Word, in which human pain finds its supreme and surest point of reference. He insisted that the Christian faith teaches that even in suffering, pain, illness or death, humans are not beyond God’s reach. Talking about his own experience of ill-health, he told the suffering and the sick that he has come to understand more and more clearly its value for his Petrine ministry and for the church’s life. He went on to invite the suffering all over the world to “contemplate with faith the mystery of Christ crucified and risen, in order to discover God’s loving plan in their own experience of pain. Only by looking at Jesus, “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Is. 53:3), is it possible to find serenity and trust.”[lxvi]
In the same message Pope John Paul II addressed special words to the sick and suffering who find themselves in hospitals and treatment centers. He disclosed that for him such places are like shrines where people participate in Christ’s paschal mystery.[lxvii] In these centers and institutions the Gospel message of hope should be proclaimed so that the sick and suffering encounter in Jesus the Saviour who will answer their existential questions and fulfill their deepest aspirations. In the Holy Father’s own words: “Only in Jesus the divine Samaritan is the fully satisfying answer to the deepest expectations of every human being in search of peace and salvation. Christ the Saviour of every human person and of the whole person.”[lxviii]
In 2003, the Holy Father presided over the celebration of the eleventh World Day of the Sick which was held in Washington, D.C. He invited the American Catholics and people of good will to bear renewed witness to charity, so that the presence of Christ the Redeemer of humanity may be felt especially in the numberless situations of physical and moral suffering. The Pontiff went on to remind them that it is especially is those tragic human experiences that “the Christian is called to bear witness to the consoling truth of the Risen Lord, who takes upon himself the wounds and ills of humanity, including death itself, and transforms them into occasions of grace and life.”[lxix]
- Believers and Sickness
3.1. Faith and Sickness
During the first World Day of the Sick, Pope John Paul II described the appalling situation of human suffering that has become commonplace and everyday experience. Before the eyes of all are the very sad images of individuals and whole peoples, who lacerated by wars and conflicts, succumb under the weight of easily avoidable calamities. In health-care facilities and homes millions of people undergo the calvary of sufferings which are often neglected, not always suitably relieved, and sometimes lack adequate support. In the face of such human pain and suffering, the Holy Father teaches that for a follower of Christ, suffering or illness is not simply a frustration of natural life force, but “becomes an appeal to “read” the new, difficult situation in the perspective which is proper to faith.”[lxx] The Pope argues that faith enables a believer to see illness and suffering in a different light – one that faith alone can provide. Outside the gift of faith, it would be next to impossible to discover in the moment of trial the constructive contribution of pain, it would be difficult to give meaning and value to the anguish, unease and physical and psychic ills that accompany our mortal condition.
Two years later, in 1995, the Holy Father dealt on the contribution of faith, especially when people find themselves under the weight of acute and unbearable pain. When such moments of pain and suffering occur, as they surely do, a believer should turn to the Sacred Scriptures to seek what the Pope calls, “a higher point of view,” that is, God’s light that shines in the poverty of a suffering or diminished life. The Holy Father proclaims that it is only when human reason is illuminated by faith that it “comprehends that all suffering can, through grace, become a prolongation of the mystery of the Redemption, which, though complete in Christ, ‘constantly remains open to all love which is expressed in human suffering’ (Salvifici Doloris, n. 24).”[lxxi] In other words, the gift of faith helps believers to find meaning in their illness, suffering and pain. It enables them to understand the mystery of suffering in a new and different manner.
Presiding over the celebrations of the eighth World Day of the Sick, in 2000 – the year of the Jubilee of Redemption – the Holy Father regretfully observed that at the end of the second millennium we cannot say that humanity has done all that is necessary to alleviate the immense burden of suffering which weighs on individuals, families and societies. The Pope insisted that while great breakthroughs in health care have been made in this last century, the river of human pain has, however, swollen to unprecedented heights: wars have claimed more lives in this century, and perhaps more than in any other in humanity’s tormented history, incurable diseases like such as AIDS and illnesses caused by the deterioration of the environment, are, but, few of the examples. The Pope remarks that in the midst of this obvious pain and suffering, there is a further serious cause of suffering prevalent in post-modern society: “the eclipse of faith”. With the loss of faith, humanity is “no longer able to grasp the salvific meaning of pain and the comfort of eschatological hope.”[lxxii]
The eighth World Day of the Sick was celebrated in the context of the Great Jubilee of Redemption, which turned out to be a an important event in the Catholic Church in the year 2000. Addressing multitudes of believers gathered at St. Peter’s Square, the Holy Father observed that the celebration of the Jubilee of Redemption imposes certain demands on Christians. The followers of Christ are challenged by this event to reflect on ethical problems, including fundamental issues pertaining to human life. It is incumbent upon them to promote good health and the quality of life and teach others the respect for it. To accomplish this noble duty, Christians need to reflect on the ethics of life so as to dispel the confusion of values that seems to dominate the culture of the present society. The Pope went on to remark that due to selfishness and materialism, many are engaged in promoting a worrying culture of death. In order to combat this vast spreading mentality of death, “believers are called to develop the insight of faith as they look at the sublime and mysterious value of life, even when it seems frail and vulnerable.”[lxxiii] In other words, the Pope is arguing that the light of faith will help believers address fundamental issues of human life in a way that corresponds to the profound value and the dignity of the human person. Faith will enable them to find the true meaning and value of life from its beginning to its natural close.
In his message to the suffering and sick of South India, during the tenth celebration of the World Day of the Sick, Pope John Paul II reflected on the suffering of Christ as a key to understanding the true meaning of human pain. Because Christ has suffered in order to redeem the world, humanity should learn from his passion, death and resurrection the deepest meaning of human suffering. In order to appreciate the significance of the Christ-Event, the gift of faith is necessary. The Holy Father proclaimed that faith teaches believers to seek the ultimate meaning of suffering in Christ’s Passion, Death and Resurrection and enables them to come up with a Christian response to suffering and pain. In his view, the Christian response to pain and suffering is never one of passivity.[lxxiv] Enlightened by their faith and urged by charity and solidarity, followers of Christ should join hands with all people of good will to seek new and effective ways to alleviate suffering and pain. Believers, however, know that suffering is not simply a fundamental human fact, it has a deeper meaning that can only be discovered through faith.
By and large, the Holy Father teaches that when pain is accepted and borne with faith it becomes the doorway to the mystery of the Lord’s redemptive suffering – a suffering that no longer takes away peace and happiness since it is illuminated by the splendour of the Resurrection.[lxxv]
3.2. Believers recognize the Presence of Christ in the Suffering and the Sick
In his message of the first World Day of the Sick, Pope John Paul II affirmed that the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ, the incarnate Word, constitute the key to the mystery of human pain and suffering. In the light of Christ’s death and resurrection, illness no longer appears as an exclusively negative event, rather, it is perceived as an opportunity to release love, in order to give birth to the works of love towards neighbour.[lxxvi] The Holy Father went on to observe that the history of both the Church and Christian spirituality attest to the fact that believers who experienced unspeakable suffering and pain have demonstrated generosity and care for others in ways beyond human imagination. Those who gave themselves selflessly to the service of the sick and suffering were able to do so because they saw in their suffering brothers and sisters the face of the suffering Christ. In his own words, “over the centuries shining pages have been written of heroism in suffering accepted and offered in union with Christ. And no less marvelous pages have been traced out through humble service to the poor and the sick, in whose tormented flesh the presence of the poor, crucified Christ has been recognized.”[lxxvii]
In the 1994 message of the World Day of the Sick, the supreme Pontiff addressed health-care workers, doctors, men and women nurses, chaplains and women religious, technical and administrative personnel, social workers and volunteers. He urged not be discouraged or yield to pessimism. As they serve the sick and suffering on daily basis, they should find inspiration from the example of the Good Samaritan, always respect the dignity of the sick as persons and discover in them poor and suffering Jesus. In his own words: “Like the Good Samaritan, you are close to and serve the sick and suffering, respecting – first of all, and always – their dignity as persons, and, with the eyes of faith, recognizing the presence of the suffering Jesus in them.”[lxxviii]
The third World Day of the Sick was celebrated at the Yamoussoukro Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace, in Côte d’Ivoire. The Holy Father used this occasion to reflect on the relationship between pain and peace. He observed that the decline of peaceful understanding translates into a proliferation of attacks on life, whereas serving, advancing and defending life, even at the cost of personal sacrifice, constitute the indispensable premise for authentically building individual and social peace.[lxxix] The Pope went to show that the believers who associate themselves with the suffering of Christ become authentic workers of peace. Towards the end of this message, the Pontiff addressed health-care workers and those directly engaged in pastoral care of the sick. He reminded them that through their selfless and dedicated service to the sick and suffering, they contribute to peace and become authentic architects of peace, especially when they see in the pain of their brothers and sisters the suffering Christ. The Holy Father insisted: “your work will be an authentic witness and concrete action for peace if you are willing to offer true love to those with whom you come into contact and if, as believers, you are able to honour in them the presence of Christ himself.”[lxxx]
During the eighth World Day of the Sick that was held in Rome, Pope John Paul II reminded the Christian Church that the celebration of the Jubilee of Redemption invites the whole body of Christ to contemplate, among other things, the face of Christ. He observed that the example of Jesus, like that of the Good Samaritan, has over centuries inspired the attitude of believers not only to be close to the brother and sisters who are suffering, but also to do all they can to reintegrate them in society. Without mincing words, the Pope proclaimed publicly that the ministry of the Church towards the suffering and the sick is guided by the gospel and example Christ and recognizes in those who in pain its suffering founder. He declared: “In fact, guided by faith and surrounding with affectionate care those who are afflicted by human suffering, the Church recognizes in them the image of her poor an suffering Founder and is concerned to alleviate their suffering, mindful of his words: ‘I was sick and you visited me’ (Mt 25:36).”[lxxxi]
3.3. Care of the Sick by Relatives as an Irreplaceable Therapeutic Instrument
During the celebration of the sixth World Day of the Sick, in 1998, the Holy Father focused on the Family of Nazareth. He observed that this family was not immune to trails and hardships. This family knew poverty, humiliation, privations, pain and suffering beyond human imagination.[lxxxii] The Pope presented to believers the Holy Family of Nazareth as a model for every human family wounded by suffering and pain. Alluding to the words the Master on the day of judgment: “I was sick and you visited me” (Mt 25:36), Pope John Paul II insisted that while Christian charity binds every member of the community pay visit to the sick, it is, however, incumbent upon the relatives of the sick to visit the sick members of the family before anyone else and such support by relatives is an irreplaceable therapeutic instrument. In his own words: “While inviting the ecclesiastical and civil community to assume responsibility for the difficult situations in which many families find themselves, under the burden imposed by the illness of a relative, I remind you that the Lord’s command to visit the sick is addressed first of all to the relatives of the ill. When carried out in a spirit of loving self-donation and supported by faith, prayer, and the sacraments, the care of sick relatives can be transformed into an irreplaceable therapeutic instrument for the ill and become an occasion for everyone to discover precious human and spiritual values.”[lxxxiii]
Two years later, in 2000, the Holy Father proclaimed that the celebration of the Jubilee of Redemption is also an invitation to all the baptized and men and women of good will to become guardians of life and to do everything in their powers to eradicate the culture of death. Commenting on the words of Jesus: “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (Jn 10:10), Pope John Paul II remarked that life and health issues should be the concern of each and everyone – they cannot be left in the hands of few specialized personnel and professionals. Believers and non-believers, as well as followers of other religions, should come together to reflect of fundamental issues pertaining to human life. He urged Christians who work as health care professionals to develop the insight of faith as they minister to the sick and suffering, and dealing with life and death issues. The Pope, once again, insisted on the irreplaceable role of the relatives of the sick members. It is their sacrosanct duty to provide support and companionship to those who are at the very critical moment of their life. For John Paul II, the task to defend life involves health professionals: doctors, pharmacists, nurses, chaplains, men and women religious, administrators and volunteer workers who, by virtue of their profession, are called in a special capacity to be guardians of human life. However, it also calls into question every other human being, starting with the relatives of the sick person. They know that ‘the request which arises form the human heart in the supreme confrontation with suffering and death, especially when faced with the temptation to give up in utter desperation, is above all a request for companionship, sympathy and support in the time of trial. It is a plea for help to keep on hoping when all human hopes fail.’ (Evangelium vitae, n. 67).”[lxxxiv]
- The Christian Meaning of Human Suffering and Sickness
4.1. Sacred Scripture as the Book of Suffering
During the 1994 World Day of the Sick, the Holy Father made explicit reference to the subject of salfivic pain, that is, the Christian meaning of suffering, a topic he has treated extensively in his Apostolic Letter, Salvifici Doloris, of 11th February 1984. The Pope admits that there are tribulations which, from a human point of view, are not only obstacles to happiness and a motive for separation from God but also seem devoid of any meaning. The supreme Pontiff argues, however, that a close look at the Sacred Scriptures reveals that there is what he calls “a higher point of view”, that of God. In other words, for John Paul II, the Bible presents pain under a totally different light, – God’s light. For this reason, the Holy Father dares to refer to the Holy Bible as the book of suffering, filled with painful situations and bringing to light experiences of evil which do not leave human indifferent. In his own words, the Pope proclaimed: “To obtain this light on pain, we must first of all listen to the word of God, found in the books of Sacred Scripture, which can also be termed “a great book on Suffering” (Salvifici Doloris, n. 6). Therein we in fact encounter not only “an extensive listing of situations which in varied ways are painful for man” (Ibid., n. 7), but also the experience of multiform evil which inevitably prompts the question “Why?” (Ibid., n. 9).”[lxxxv]
Referring to Job, who suffered in his innocence, the Holy Father goes on to argue that the story of this “sound and honest man who feared God and shunned evil” (Job. 1:1) clearly shows that suffering always pushes human beings to pose difficult questions of the meaning of pain. The Pope added that the same story is a clear indication that “it is not true that all suffering is a consequence of sin and has the character of punishment (Ibid., n. 11).[lxxxvi]
4.2. Suffering as Instrument of Redemption
The 1994 World Day of the Sick was celebrated at the Marian sanctuary of Czestochowa, in Karol Wojtyla’s (Pope John Paul II) native land, Poland. During the celebration of this historic event, the Holy Father reflected, among others, on the tribulations of this life as signs of future glory. In this light, Pope John Paul II proclaimed that human reason, though it distinguishes between pain and evil, when illuminated by faith understands that all suffering can, through the grace, become a prolongation of the mystery of the Redemption, which, though complete in Christ, “constantly remains open to all love which is expressed in human suffering” (Salvifici Doloris, n. 24).[lxxxvii] Put differently, the Holy Father teaches that human suffering can, through the God’s grace and his great design of salvation, contribute to redemption.
In the course of the same celebration, the Pope addressed the sick and those who experience pain, urging them to face evil in all its forms without being discouraged and yielding to pessimism. Calling them to realize that their suffering when borne with the spirit of faith can be an instrument of redemption, the Holy Father said: “Take the opportunity opened up by Christ to transform your situation into an expression of grace and love. Then your pain, too, will be become salvific and contribute to completing the suffering of Christ for the benefit of his Body which is the Church (cf. Col. 1:24).”[lxxxviii]
The 11th February 1995 marked the third World Day of the Sick. This special event was celebrated at the Yamoussoukro Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace, in Côte d’Ivoiré. In his message the Holy Father spoke at length on the relationship between pain and peace. He told his audience that “when there is no peace, suffering spreads and death expands its power among men. In the social, as well as in the familial community, the decline of peaceful understanding translates into a proliferation of attacks on life, whereas serving, advancing and defending life, even at the cost of personal sacrifice, constitute the indispensable premise for authentically building individual and social peace.”[lxxxix] In the same homily, he observed that suffering can be used for advantage and offered for the salvation of the world. The Holy Father insisted that “from he courageous witness of the weak, he sick, and the suffering the loftiest contribution to peace can flow forth.”[xc]
Addressing multitudes of the sick and disabled gathered at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima, on the official celebration of the fifth World Day of the Sick, the successor of Peter reflected on the role of Mary, the Mother Jesus in the project of salvation and in Jesus’ mission of redemption. The Pope recalled that the apparition of Mary at the Cave of Iria, on May 13, 1917, has since marked her interest and commitment to the physical and spiritual welfare of the followers of her Son. The Holy Father went on the remind the sick that since 1917 millions of sick and disabled have frequented this Shrine in search of relief and comfort in their suffering. He admitted that though sometimes the relief is physical, when God through his mercy grants healing from illness, but more often the much needed relief is spiritual “when the soul, pervaded by the inner light of grace, finds the strength to accept the painful weight of infirmity, transforming it, through communion with Christ, the suffering servant into an instrument of redemption and salvation for oneself and one’s brothers and sister.”[xci]
During the celebration of the sixth World Day of the Sick, in 1998, at the Sanctuary of Loreto, the Holy Father reflected on the mystery of the Incarnation and teased out its theological implications for the sick and suffering. The Pope proclaimed the fact of Christ taking the human condition gives new meaning to pain and suffering and transforms it into a way of redemption. In other words, through Christ suffering has been transformed into an efficacious instrument of redemption. In his own words the Supreme Pontiff exclaimed: “suffering can also have a positive meaning for man and for society itself, called as it is to become a form of sharing in the salvific suffering of Christ and in his joy as the risen one and, therefore, a power for sanctification and the up building of the church” (Christifideles Laici, 54; cf. Encyclical Salvifici Doloris, 23). Your experience of pain, modeled on Christ’s and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, will proclaim the victorious power of the Resurrection.”[xcii]
Addressing thousands of pilgrims gathered for the celebration of both the Jubilee of Redemption and the World Day of the Sick, in 2000, at St. Peter’s Square, the Holy Father urged the sick and suffering to follow in the foot path of great saints and believers who upon their imitation of Christ, the suffering Servant, transformed their illness and pain into a source of purification and salvation for themselves and for others.[xciii] The Pope went on to reiterate that when illness, pain and suffering are borne with faith and in imitation of Jesus, they open great prospects of personal sanctification and contribute to the salvation of the world. He encouraged the sick and suffering of the world to imitate Christ so that they may eventually discover the meaning of their suffering and death. The Holy Father, who was no stranger to illness and pain, was convinced that unlike those who “lack hope” (cf.1 Th 4:3), the believer knows that the time of suffering represents an occasion for new life, grace, and resurrection.
4.3. The Mother of Jesus as Living Icon of the Gospel of Suffering
In almost all his messages of the World Day of the Sick, the Holy Father concludes his addresses by entrusting the sick and the suffering and all those who are working closely with them to Mary the Mother of Jesus, whom the Church venerates as Salus Infirmorum, that is, Health of the Sick. In those many references Mary, the Pope has always singled her as a living icon of the Gospel of suffering.
The celebrations of the first World Day of the Sick took place on 11th February 1993, on the commemoration of Our Lady of Lourdes. In his message marking this historic event, John Paul II referred to the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes as “a temple of human suffering” where multitudes of brothers and sisters who are sick gather to implore the maternal assistance of the Mother of Jesus. The Holy Father went on to explain that the majority of believers and especially those who experience pain and suffer in body and spirit have such confidence in her because she is no stranger to suffering. She suffered on Calvary, where the cross of her Son rose up. Because she was able to participate in the suffering and pain of her Son, Mary shares the crosses of pain and solitude of so many brothers and sisters who call for her help – she who is known and venerated in the Church as “Health of the Sick” and “Mother of the Living”.[xciv]
On the celebration of the second World Day of the sick, in 1994, the Pontiff addressed the sick and suffering who were gathered at the Marian sanctuary of Czestochowa, Poland. The Pope acknowledged that in their situation, the sick and suffering need examples more than words. They also need models who would spur them to walk the road of the sanctification of pain. The Holy Father beseeched them to turn their gaze at Mary as a living icon of the Gospel of suffering. The episodes of her life show Mary as one who knew suffering first hand. John Paul II observed: “you will find Mary in the poverty of the house in Nazareth, in the humiliation of the stable in Bethlehem, in the privations of the flight into the land of Egypt, in the exertion of humble, blessed work with Jesus and Joseph.”[xcv]
In the same message, the Holy Father observed that the Mother of Jesus was indeed preserved from sin, but not from suffering. For this reason, believers find it easy to identify with her, discerning their own pain in hers. The Pope goes on to argue that the what took place on Calvary was climax of the suffering and pain that Mary endured since the prophecy of Simeon, who predicted her sharing in the suffering of her Son (Lk.2:34). In the words of John Paul II: “It was on Calvary that the suffering of the Blessed Virgin Mary, alongside that of Christ, reached a peak which is indeed difficult to imagine in its loftiness from a human standpoint, but which is certainly mysterious and supernaturally fruitful for the purpose of universal salvation.”[xcvi]
In 1998, the sixth World Day of the Sick took place at the Sanctuary of Loreto – the place chosen to recall in a special way of moment when the Word became flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary through the work of the Holy Spirit. In his homily or address, the Holy Father reflected on Mary’s gift of herself to God. By accepting the call and invitation of God, Mary also put herself at the service of her fellow human beings. For John Paul II, accepting God places one in an attitude of complete openness. Her generous abandonment, fiat, made her to experience pain and suffering as God’s project of saving humanity was unfolding. As a result of her own experience of suffering, Mary “becomes the icon of watchful attention and compassion towards those suffering.”[xcvii]
During the celebration of the eighth World Day of the Sick, in 2000, the Holy Father addressed a special appeal to the international political, social and health-care organizations in every part of the world to be convincing promoters of concrete projects to fight all that is harmful to the dignity and health of the person. He urged health-care workers to imitate Mary’s active participation in her Son by becoming actively involved in the lives of the sick brothers and sisters. In his words: “At the foot of he Cross ( cf. Jn. 19:25) shared the sufferings of her Son and, with her expert experience of suffering, offers her constant and loving protection to those who are suffering in mind of body the limits and wounds of the human condition.”[xcviii]
In the year 2004, the celebration of the World Day of the Sick took place at the Shrine of Lourdes, in France. The Holy Father concluded that the apparition of the Blessed Virgin on 11th February 1858, does not only demonstrate her maternal love for humanity, but also her special affection towards the suffering and the sick. She accompanies them and comforts them in their pain. The Mother of Jesus is able to accomplish these because she has gone through the school of suffering on Calvary where her Son made her the mother of humanity. The Pope asserted: “At the foot of the Cross Mary, made Mother of humanity, suffers in silence, participating in her Son’s suffering, ready to intercede so that every person may obtain salvation ( cf. John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Salvifici Doloris, [11 February 1984], n. 25; ORE, 20 February 1984, p. 6).”[xcix]
Conclusion
It has been established in the course of this study that Pope John Paul II embarked on and developed the theology of sickness and suffering for two major reasons. First, witnessing to the Cross of Christ who suffered, died and rose from the dead, constituted the raison d’être for his papal ministry. Secondly, it was to remind the Christian communities of the long tradition of the Church and its particular ministry to the sick and suffering.