Pope Calls the Sick to Offer Suffering for Peace

Vatican City, February 07, 2026: Pope Leo XIV has urged the sick and those who care for them to find true peace in God’s charity and to offer their suffering for the peace of the world. The appeal came in a letter sent to Michael Czerny, appointed as the Pope’s special envoy for the 34th World Day of the Sick, to be celebrated on 11 February at the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace.

Writing “in a special union of prayer with the Church spread throughout the world”, the Pope prayed for all who are ill and afflicted by disease or pain. He encouraged them, with the maternal intercession of Mary, to offer the hardships of their lives to the merciful God for world peace. Citing Augustine of Hippo, he recalled the teaching from the Confessions that the human soul remains restless until it finds true and lasting peace in the charity of God, lived out in daily and spiritual life.

The message, dated 21 January, was addressed to Cardinal Czerny in his capacity as Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. The Pope asked his envoy to convey comfort and encouragement to the faithful gathered for the celebration, held on the liturgical memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lourdes. He highlighted the “consolation of the Gospel” that flows from communion with Christ, who promised to remain with his people in every circumstance until the end of time.

Pope Leo XIV called on the sick and their caregivers to bear witness to the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity, as well as to genuine human and Christian closeness. He urged them to carry one another’s burdens and so fulfil the law of Christ from the heart.

The letter also reflected the Pope’s personal affection for Peru and the Diocese of Chiclayo. He recalled that twelve years earlier, Fr. Robert Francis Prevost was ordained a bishop in the diocesan cathedral dedicated to Saint Mary, Mother of God.

In conclusion, the Pope noted that, by divine providence, Francis had wished the 34th World Day of the Sick to be celebrated in Peru as a sign of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s maternal care for all who suffer. Pope Leo XIV confirmed this choice, adding that he himself had often prayed at the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace, invoking God’s help there on several occasions.

Pope Calls the Sick to Offer Suffering for Peace

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