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DICASTERY FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH
1st August 2024
The love of Mary at Vailankanni (India)
Letter to Mons. Sagayaraj Thamburaj, Bishop of Thanjavur
Your Excellency,
The feast of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Good Health in Vailankanni, a devotion
dating back to the 16th century, is
approaching.
There are beautiful traditions ascribed to the encounters that
the Virgin had with poor and sick boys at this place of worship. Thus, the
tenderness and closeness of Mary, whom Jesus desired to bequeath us as Mother of
all, is manifested.
Through her intercession, Jesus Christ often pours out his
strength and restores health to the sick. For this reason, in 2002, Saint John
Paul II chose that place for the celebration of the World Day of the Sick. Thus
the same Virgin Mary who manifested herself at Lourdes also manifested herself
in India as the Mother of Health.
It is not merely a matter of bodily health, but also one that
touches the soul. Contemplating the image of Mary we can all recognize the love
of Jesus Christ that can heal our sadness, our anguish and our fears. If we
pause before Mary, even in a brief moment of faith and love, her maternal gaze
restores peace to us.
The first account, which is ancient, is filled with rich
symbolism because the boy to whom Mary showed herself offered her the milk he
had brought with him for the Child she was carrying in her arms. This was an
expression of the generosity of those who are willing to give something to
others, in their own poverty. You do not need to have much in order to be
generous. May this call to share, to assist, to be close to those who need us
always resonate in this place. Mary loves the generosity of her children, who
put into action the words of Jesus: "What you did to one of the least of my
brothers, you did to me" (Mt 25, 40).
Through the centuries, Mary has continued to act in this place.
Some Portuguese sailors told how the Virgin protected them from a storm at sea
and thereafter they decided to build the church. How can we fail to remember the
tsunami in the Indian Ocean in 2004 whose destructive waters did not damage the
church?
The millions of pilgrims who travel here out of faith, and the
many spiritual fruits that are produced at this Shrine, make us recognize the
constant action of the Holy Spirit in this place.
Many non-Christian pilgrims who come seeking solace echo similar
experiences. Some of them are healed of their illnesses and many find peace and
hope. Without doubt, the Holy Spirit is also at work in them, responding to by
Mary's intercession. This should not be considered as a form of syncretism or
mixing of religions. The Sanctuary is a place where the closeness of Mary, who
welcomes everyone and demonstrates the love of the Lord to those who reflect on
it, is manifested. Those who cannot receive the sacraments of the Catholic
Church are not denied the consolation of the Mother of Jesus.
Together with the Holy Father Pope Francis, I recall the
spiritual beauty of this place of faith. The Holy Father cares a lot about the
popular piety of the faithful pilgrims, because they reflect the beauty of the
Church on the move which seeks Jesus in the arms of Mary and entrusts its pain
and hope to the heart of His Mother. For this reason, Pope Francis asked me to
inform you of the great appreciation he feels for this place of faith and, in
preparation for the September celebrations in the Sanctuary, he extends his
paternal blessing to all pilgrims.
With fraternal affection in the Lord,
Víctor Manuel Card. FERNÁNDEZ
Prefect
EX AUDIENTIA DIEI 01.08.2024
Franciscus
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