Pope Leo XIV addressed a message of prayer and encouragement to the faithful who will be observing the 34th World Day of the Sick, celebrated on 11 February at the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace in Chiclayo, Peru. The Holy Father expressed spiritual closeness to all who endure illness, pain, or infirmity, uniting himself with them in prayer alongside the universal Church.
The Pope encouraged those who suffer to place their trials before God as an offering for peace in the world. He emphasized that human suffering, when entrusted to the Lord through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, becomes a profound act of faith and charity. In this offering, the restless heart of the human person discovers authentic peace, not through escape from suffering, but through communion with the merciful love of God lived out in daily Christian life.
Writing on January 21st, Pope Leo asked Cardinal Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, to convey the consolation of the Gospel to those gathered for the celebration, particularly to the sick themselves. The World Day of the Sick, observed each year on the memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes, served as a fitting moment to recall Christ’s abiding presence with His people in every circumstance, including moments marked by weakness and pain.
The Holy Father underscored that this closeness of Christ is not abstract but lived concretely through the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. He called upon both the sick and those who care for them to bear witness to these virtues through genuine Christian closeness. By accompanying one another with patience and love, the faithful fulfill the law of Christ and reveal the Gospel through acts of mercy and solidarity.
Pope Leo also reflected on his personal bond with Peru and the Diocese of Chiclayo, recalling his years of pastoral ministry there with gratitude and affection. This connection, he noted, gave particular meaning to the celebration of the World Day of the Sick in that place, which stands under the patronage of Our Lady of Peace.
In closing, the Pope affirmed that the decision to celebrate this World Day of the Sick in Peru expressed the maternal care of the Blessed Virgin Mary for all who suffer. By confirming this choice, Pope Leo highlighted Mary’s enduring role as a source of consolation and hope for the afflicted. He encouraged the faithful to continue entrusting the sick to her intercession, confident that through the charity of God, even suffering can become a path toward peace for the world.