At the Jubilee Mass for the Sick, the Pope shares a personal message of hope, compassion, and spiritual strength in suffering.
Pope Francis’ Message at the Jubilee Mass for the Sick and Healthcare Workers
At the end of the Jubilee Mass for the sick and the healthcare community, Pope Francis made a surprise appearance in St. Peter’s Square. In a wheelchair and accompanied by his personal nurse, he was brought to the altar, where Archbishop Rino Fisichella had just concluded the celebration. The Pope offered a brief but heartfelt greeting: “Happy Sunday to all, thank you very much!”
Amid emotional applause from the crowd of over 20,000 people—many of them ill—Francis expressed his deep gratitude for the prayers offered for his health. He extended his Apostolic Blessing “to your loved ones, the sick, and all who suffer, as well as to all the faithful gathered here today.”
Before coming to the square, the Vatican Press Office reported that Pope Francis received the Sacrament of Reconciliation inside St. Peter’s Basilica, spent time in prayer, and walked through the Holy Door.
From his residence at Casa Santa Marta, the convalescing Pope shared his personal experience of illness through a homily read by Archbishop Fisichella. The Pope acknowledged the pain of feeling weak and depending on others.
“It’s not always easy, but illness becomes a school where we learn to love and be loved, without demanding, without rejecting, without despairing—grateful to God and others for the good we receive, and trusting in what’s still to come.”
Many in the square—arriving slowly or in wheelchairs, accompanied by volunteers, doctors, and nurses—were moved as Fisichella emphasized that the hospital room and the sickbed can become spaces of profound faith, where one hears the voice of God whispering, “See, I am doing something new. Do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:19)
Reflecting on the First Reading from Isaiah and the Gospel account of Jesus and the woman caught in adultery, the Pope noted that even in exile or moments of moral condemnation, God brings renewal:
“What is being born is a new people—stripped of false securities, rediscovering what is essential: to stay united and walk in the light of the Lord.”
Jesus, instead of condemning the woman, defends her, offering her a new beginning. Similarly, the Lord is never far; He is always at the door, ready to enter when we open our hearts—even in our most difficult trials.
The Pope emphasized that suffering, when shared, becomes redemptive. He reminded healthcare professionals that the sick are a gift—capable of softening hearts and renewing compassion.
“The bed of a sick person can become a sacred place—where God’s grace transforms pain into love, and weakness into strength.”
In closing, Francis recalled Pope Benedict XVI’s words in Spe Salvi, which said that a society’s greatness is measured by how it treats its suffering members.
“Let us not exclude those who are fragile. Let us transform suffering into a chance to grow together in hope, grounded in God’s love—which endures forever.”
