Pope speaks on faith in the face of illness
February 06, 2012
At his Angelus audience on Sunday, February 5, Pope Benedict XVI spoke about the physical cures that Jesus performed, recorded frequently in the Gospels.
All four Gospels, the Pope observed, show that “along with preaching, healing from sickness and infirmity of all kinds constituted the main activity of Jesus during His public life.” These cures were a clear sign of the Lord’s mission, the Pope added, because “the healings were an anticipation of the victory He achieved through death and resurrection.”
Physical healing itself is a great blessing, the Pontiff continued. Illness and sufferings are evils to be overcome whenever possible. He observed that with continued sickness, “our lives sink and become dehumanized.” The only real remedy in the face of inevitable bodily breakdown, he said, is “faith in God and in his goodness.” As he closed his midday audience, the Pope looked forward to the annual World Day of the Sick, which will be observed on February 11, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. “With the help of Our Lady of Lourdes and of St. Bernadette, may we discover that true happiness exists only in God,” he said.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
