Greeting of the Holy Father

Words of the Holy Father to representatives of associations and people in precarious situations

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 Greeting of the Holy Father

Dear brothers and sisters,
Dear friends who are sick,

It is a joy for me to be with you here in Lourdes, where, for more than a hundred and fifty years, pilgrims from every corner of the world have come to entrust their physical, psychological and spiritual sufferings to Jesus through Mary.  Indeed, fragility is not hidden here; instead it becomes the place of a sacred encounter.

This year, the pastoral theme of the Sanctuary is the greeting of the Archangel Gabriel to Mary, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you” (Lk 1:28).  This emphasizes the remarkable exchange between the gaze of the Lord’s messenger and Mary’s.  In this encounter, the humility and generosity of a young woman allowed God to accomplish his work of salvation.  Mary did not keep the Lord for herself, but offered him to the world, saying to each of us, “The Lord is with you.”  This truth is the foundation of our dignity as persons.  And here, Mary looks upon each one of us as a unique person, as Saint Bernadette testified during the apparitions at the grotto. This maternal gaze reminds us once more that no one is invisible in God’s eyes.

At a time when some societies are inclined to look aside or close their eyes to the dignity of human life, we need first of all “to foster, in ourselves and in others, a contemplative outlook… It is the outlook of those who see life in its deeper meaning, who grasp its utter gratuitousness, its beauty and its invitation to freedom and responsibility.  It is the outlook of those who do not presume to take possession of reality but instead accept it as a gift, discovering in all things the reflection of the Creator and seeing in every person his living image (cf. Gen 1:27; Ps 8:5).  This outlook… is open to perceiving in the face of every person a call to encounter, dialogue and solidarity” (Saint John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Evangelium Vitae, 83), so that the world may have life.

In the dialogue of the Annunciation, as the Lord gazes upon her, Mary discovers that she is God’s chosen one.  Yet, at the heart of this encounter, it is each one of us who discovers that we too are personally called and profoundly destined for the love of God, who is the source of life.  The human person is “worthy” simply by virtue of existing and of being destined for eternity.  Our dignity cannot be measured or debated.

I know that for some of you, because of particular illnesses and, at times, terrible pain, your horizon may appear dark, uncertain and without hope.  But no human law should ever make you lose the certainty of your dignity.  On the contrary, it is precisely in the name of this inalienable dignity of the human person that we must reject the temptation to cause death under the guise of false compassion.  It is impossible to regard causing death as something normal.  What is legal is not necessarily moral.

Here in Lourdes, the city of the sick and of hope, I appeal to the entire healthcare community to remember the profound meaning of your vocation, which is to care for a suffering person, not to eliminate that person.  Yes, dear friends, be passionate servants of life.  No one ever has the right “on the basis of laboratory algorithms, to decide the life of a given embryo or elderly person!  Medicine must never become the servant of programmed death!” (Address to the Members of the Jérôme Lejeune Foundation, 22 June 2026).  In this regard, I urge you resolutely to develop structures for palliative care and research.  At the same time, I urge you to accompany the sick with the tenderness that we see here in Lourdes, where doctors, nurses, stretcher-bearers, chaplains, pastoral teams serving the sick, and so many others live out their vocation in the service of the dignity of the human person, so that the world may have life.  In caring for bodies, you also bind up wounded souls.  To you, dear members of the hospitality groups, and to the healthcare workers who devote yourselves to serving your brothers and sisters, I express my deepest gratitude.

Dear brothers and sisters who are sick, I want to tell you that you are not a burden.  You are the beating heart of our humanity and a precious treasure for the Church.  I carry in my prayers the trials you are going through.  My thoughts are also with all those who cannot be here and who, from their homes or hospital rooms, are united with us in this gathering.  I entrust all of you to the maternal love of the Mother of the Lord, asking her to obtain for you the consolations of her Son Jesus.  May God bless and protect you.

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 Words of the Holy Father to representatives of associations and people in precarious situations

I am happy to have this opportunity to meet you, dear friends and members of the associations that support people in precarious or vulnerable situations.  I greet you warmly.  This “Book of Life” is a beautiful gift you have given me.  Life is beautiful and precious.  Do not be discouraged: Our Lady of Lourdes holds you by the hand.

Thank you, dear friends, for your part in the life of this Shrine, whose special mission is to welcome each year thousands of people who are suffering and seeking healing.  Many of them leave with peaceful hearts, transformed by grace and ready to continue on their way.  You are the instruments God uses to renew their hope. Is not this the first miracle of Lourdes for them, the fact that they have met you, experienced your generosity and dedication, and felt your closeness?  The witness of faith and love that you offer them is an irreplaceable part of their spiritual journey, and I thank you for it.

I am sure that you too will leave Lourdes changed after having carried out your service.  I invite you to share this unique experience with those around you and to encourage others to discover it, especially young people, so that they too may discover the joy of giving themselves and of serving in the name of Jesus.

Thank you once again for your warm welcome. I entrust you all to the intercession of the Virgin Mary, to whom we can pray with confidence:

“Hail Mary…”

I now impart to you the Apostolic Blessing…