THE POPE’S PRAYER INTENTION FOR FEBRUARY 2024

FEBRUARY| FOR THE TERMINALLY ILL

 

Let us pray that the sick who are in the final stage of life, and their families, receive the necessary medical and human care and accompaniment.

 

When some people talk about terminal illnesses, there are two words they often confuse: incurable and un-curable. But they are not the same.

Even when little chance for a cure exists, every sick person has the right to medical, psychological, spiritual, and human assistance.

Sometimes they can’t talk; sometimes we think they don’t recognize us. But if we take them by the hand, we know they are relating to us.

Healing is not always possible, but we can always care for the sick person, and caress them.

Saint John Paul II used to say, “Cure if it is possible; always take care.”

And this is where palliative care comes in. It guarantees the patient not only medical attention but also human assistance and closeness.

Families should not be left alone in these difficult moments.

Their role is decisive. They need access to adequate means to provide appropriate physical, spiritual, and social support.

Let us pray that the terminally ill and their families always receive the necessary medical and human care and assistance.

Francis