The Lord cares for Man in Every Situation

When Pope Benedict XVI spoke at his Angelus address on 6th February, his remarks made reference to three different contexts. He spoke of the World Day of the Sick, which occurs on Friday, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. He referred to the "Day for Life", that was being marked in Italy on 6th February. And he referred to the presence at the Angelus of delegations taking part in a conference on the topic health assistance during pregnancy, a conference sponsored by the gynaecology and obstetrics departments of the University of Rome.

I invite everyone to contemplate Jesus, the Son of God, who suffered and died but is risen. God is radically opposed to the arrogance of evil. The Lord cares for man in every situation, shares his suffering and opens his heart to hope. Thus I exhort all health workers to see in the sick person not only a body marked by fragility, but first of all a person, to whom complete solidarity must be extended and adequate and competent responses given. In this context I further observe that today is the "Day for Life" in Italy. I hope that everyone will work to make the culture of life grow, to put the value of the human being at the center in every circumstance. According to faith and reason the dignity of the person is irreducible to his faculties or the capacities he can manifest, and so it is not lessened when the person himself is weak, handicapped and in need of help....When scientific and technological research are guided by authentic ethical values it is possible to find adequate solutions for the welcoming of nascent life and the promotion of maternity. It is my wish that the new generations of health workers are the bearers of a renewed culture of life.

H/T to ZENIT.