Pope Leo XIV: Health cannot be a luxury for few

Vatican, March 19, 2026: Pope Leo XIV has reflected on the realities of poverty, loneliness, and isolation affecting many people in Europe today, and criticised the growing inequalities and injustices within healthcare, warning that these could also lead to conflict.

On Wednesday, Pope Leo XIV stated that “Universal health coverage is not merely a technical goal to be achieved; it is primarily a moral imperative for societies that wish to call themselves just,” adding that it is also essential to prevent injustice from becoming a source of conflict.

The Pope was speaking to participants at the Conference titled “Today who is my neighbour?”, organised by the Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe, the World Health Organization (European Region), and the Italian Episcopal Conference, during a private audience at the Vatican.

Referring to the release of the second “WHO European Health Equity Status Report” on the same day, the Pope observed that the document “draws attention to the situations faced by many poor and isolated people in Europe.

He pointed out that inequalities in healthcare are increasing across several European countries and emphasised the urgent need to address mental health concerns, particularly among young people.

Healthcare and social peace

“Health cannot be a luxury for the few,” the Pope said, underlining that it is “an essential condition for social peace.”

“Healthcare must be accessible to the most vulnerable, not only because their dignity requires it but also to prevent injustice from becoming a cause of conflict,” he said.

Reflecting on passages from the Gospel, the Book of Genesis, the writings of Saint Augustine, and Pope Francis’ Encyclical Fratelli tutti, Pope Leo remarked, “Distance, distraction and desensitisation to the sight of violence and the suffering of others lead us toward indifference. Yet all men and women, especially Christians, are called to fix their gaze on those who suffer: on the pain of the lonely, on those who, for various reasons, are marginalised and considered “outcasts.” For without them, we cannot build just societies founded on the human person.”

He further added that only together “can we build communities of solidarity capable of caring for everyone, in which wellbeing and peace can flourish for the benefit of all.”

May the Christian lifestyle reflect the Samaritan spirit

The Pope concluded by reaffirming the Church’s mission as always being at the “service of the advancement of humanity and of universal fraternity.”

He stated that Churches in Europe and across the world, working alongside international organisations, can “play a decisive role today in combating inequalities in healthcare, particularly in support of the most vulnerable populations”.

In closing, he urged Christians to ensure “our Christian lifestyle will always reflect this fraternal, ‘Samaritan’ spirit – one that is welcoming, courageous, committed and supportive, rooted in our union with God and our faith in Jesus Christ.”

Courtesy: Vatican News