Benedict XVI Thoughts on Sickness Edited by Lucio Coco
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CATHOLIC TRUTH SOCIETY PUBLISHERS TO THE HOLY SEE
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Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 The Experience of Suffering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 The Mystery of Suffering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Christ “The Physician” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 United to Christ’s Suffering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Salvific Suffering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Maria, Salus Infirmorum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Caring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Treatment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Health Workers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Pastoral Care of the Sick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
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Introduction This booklet collects together some of the thoughts and reflections of Pope Benedict XVI on the theme of sickness and on the state of those who are sick. These reflections demonstrate the Holy Father’s great attentiveness to and his participation in the sufferings and pain of the world. They are texts that overflow with humanity and compassion for an experience that raises so many grave and dramatic questions about the significance of what is being lived and about the meaning of life itself. Pope Benedict sees very clearly the depths of anguish to which people in a worsening medical condition can find themselves being pushed. Nevertheless he reminds those who in addition to their physical sufferings go through the trial of seeing their faith shaken, of the story of Job, who never loses sight of the presence of God in his life and whose cry: “was not a cry of rebellion, but, from the depths of his sorrow, allowed his trust to grow” (Speech 19 March 2009). Only by being open to the mystery of God, who comes to visit us in a hidden way in our sickness, and abandoning oneself in confidence to his will, can the sick receive that peace which has its foundations in the firm belief that God
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is love and that he always wants the best for his creatures and never separates himself from them but says to them: “‘Do not fear, I am always with you”. We can fall, but in the end we fall into God’s hands, and God’s hands are good hands.” (Homily 18 December 2005) Along the journey of faith marked out by Pope Benedict, there is another mystery; that of the Cross of Christ which gives back meaning and dignity to the experience of suffering. The person who suffers, suffers with Christ and is taken into his Passion. On the back of the cross on which every sick person feels crucified is Jesus himself keeping him company. He stays with him and accompanies him, taking him by the hand and leading him along a way that He has already travelled many times. The Divine Physician repeated many times during his earthly ministry of healing the sick that his way did not lead simply to physical health, but to salvation. So in union with the sufferings of Christ, human pain assumes a meaning that goes well beyond what pertains to that specific illness and “is merged with redemptive love and… becomes a force against the evil in the world” (Address 22 December 2005). It is the salvific value of suffering which the Holy Father recalls many times in his speeches and he recalls it also to the mind of a
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world which no longer recognises the meaning of redemptive suffering and which has lost any sense of illness as a “purification and redemption for the whole world” (Speech 22 April 2007). Within this wider sphere, the Holy Father has time and again paused to consider the urgent questions that surround what it means to be sick in our own times. For this reason he encourages us to take care of suffering individuals with acts of care, tenderness and kindness (cf. Address 19 March 2009) inspired by a deep love for the human person which transforms acts of service or of duty into authentic works of charity. Also in his reflections on medical care and treatment, the Holy Father always places at the very centre the needs of the person and the safeguarding of the respect and dignity of life in all its phases. Time and again the Pope expresses his desire that the scientific and technological progress which is indispensable to medical research “will constantly go hand in hand with the awareness that together with the good of the sick person, one is promoting those fundamental values, such as the respect for and defence of life in all its stages, on which the authentically human quality of coexistence depends” ( Addr ess 22 April 2007). In this context Pope Benedict does not fail to underline the importance of
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every moment of life. Human life “is not a disposable good but a precious vessel to be preserved and looked after with every possible attention, from the moment of its origin to its ultimate natural end” ( Address 11 February 2009). Therefore the best solution for the terminal phase of a life is certainly not found in ‘helping that person to die’ but in having a loving care of the person, being full of patience and love, responsibility and respect for each and every suffering individual. These open questions in the ethical and spiritual sphere are the very places where the Church can exercise her pastoral work of providing care for the sick. Following the example of the Good Samaritan, as Pope Benedict reminds us, the Church through her members and her institutions, continues to accompany and be close to the sick, having always in mind and seeking always “to preserve the dignity of the sick person” in every stage of their illness (Message 8 December 2006). Thus the human and moral dimension of ‘care’ can be coupled with a reflection on the nature of medical practice and transmit warmth and a soul to what can often become cold therapeutic practices. The pastoral work of healthcare provision can thus become a privileged area within which to “help them transform their own condition into a
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moment of grace, for themselves and for others, through lively participation in Christ’s mystery” (Address 24 November 2006). In commending this collection of ‘thoughts on sickness’ to readers, whether they are themselves sick or involved in the care of the sick, I would like to recall a final thought by the holy Father which can be helpful in approaching sickness in general with the hope and trust of someone who has truly placed all of their life and faith in the Lord: “Christ is the true medicine... There is no area that cannot be touched by his power; there is no evil that cannot find a remedy in him, no problem that is not resolved in him.” (Catechesis 7 October 2009) Lucio Coco
We can be certain that no tear, neither of those who are suffering nor of those who are close to them, is lost before God. Benedict XVI
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The Experience of Suffering 1. Life lived to the full Human life is beautiful and should be lived to the full, even when it is weak and enveloped in the mystery of suffering. Message, 2 February 2009 2. Help of grace Unfortunately we know only too well: the endurance of suffering can upset life’s most stable equilibrium; it can shake the firmest foundations of confidence, and sometimes even leads people to despair of the meaning and value of life. There are struggles that we cannot sustain alone, without the help of divine grace. Homily, 15 September 2008 3. The place of suffering Suffering is part of the very mystery of the human person. I emphasized this in the Encyclical Spe Salvi, noting that: it “stems partly from our finitude, and partly from the mass of sin which has accumulated over the course of history, and continues to grow unabated today”. And I added that: “certainly we must do whatever we can to reduce suffering: ... but to banish it from the world altogether is not in our
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power. This is simply because... none of us is capable of eliminating the power of evil... which is a constant source of suffering” (cf. n. 36). Address (1) 21 June 2009 4. Richness Tribulations, pain and suffering make rich the meaning of our pilgrimage on the earth. Message, 11 January 2008 5. The way of suffering Suffering itself is the way to transformation, and without suffering nothing is transformed. Address, 25 July 2005 6. Profound meaning In suffering there is also a profound meaning, and only if we can give meaning to pain and suffering can our life mature. Address, 24 July 2007 7. Certainty in God’s love No tear, neither of those who are suffering nor of those who are close to them, is lost before God. Angelus, 1st February 2009
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8. John Paul II’s example His courageously-faced illness made everyone more attentive to human suffering, to all physical and spiritual pain; he gave dignity and value to suffering, witnessing that the human being’s value does not depend on his efficiency or appearance but on himself, because he was created and loved by God. Address, 2 April 2006 9. The presence of God God’s silent presence almost imperceptibly accompanies the human being on his long journey through history. True “dependable” hope is God alone, who in Jesus Christ and in his Gospel opened wide the dark door of time to the future. “I am risen and now I am always with you”, Jesus repeats to us, especially at the most difficult moments: “my hand supports you. Wherever you might fall, you will fall into my arms. I am present even at the threshold of death”. Address (1), 18 May 2008