Pope Leo XIV urges faithful to rediscover the beauty of charity

Jan 20, 2026 / 10:22 am

In his message for the 34th World Day of the Sick, to be celebrated Feb. 11, Pope Leo XIV calls on Catholics to rediscover “the beauty of charity and the social dimension of compassion,” insisting that authentic Christian love is concrete, personal, and directed toward those who suffer.

“Love is not passive; it goes out to meet the other,” the pope writes, reflecting on the Gospel parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37). “Being a neighbor is not determined by physical or social proximity but by the decision to love.”

This year’s principal observance is set to take place in Chiclayo, Peru, where Leo previously served as bishop. In the message — titled “ The Compassion of the Samaritan: Loving by Bearing Another’s Pain“ — he presents the good Samaritan as a model for Christians living in a society marked by haste and indifference.

“We live immersed in a culture of speed, immediacy, and haste — a culture of ‘discard’ and indifference that prevents us from pausing along the way and drawing near to acknowledge the needs and suffering that surround us,” he writes.

Drawing on Pope Francis’ encyclical Fratelli Tutti, Leo emphasizes that compassion and mercy cannot be reduced to a private virtue. At the heart of the message is a summons to become the kind of neighbor Christ calls for: “Jesus does not merely teach us who our neighbor is but rather how to become a neighbor; in other words, how we can draw close to others.”

Compassion that moves to action

The pope stresses that compassion is not an idea or a mood but a force that leads to real service.

“Compassion, in this sense, implies a profound emotion that compels us to act,” he writes. “In this parable, compassion is the defining characteristic of active love; it is neither theoretical nor merely sentimental but manifests itself through concrete gestures.”

Leo highlights the Samaritan’s practical care — approaching the wounded man, tending his wounds, and providing for his needs — while underscoring that the Samaritan also seeks help from an innkeeper, a detail he uses to stress communal responsibility: “The Samaritan discovered an innkeeper who would care for the man; we too are called to unite as a family that is stronger than the sum of small individual members.”

Reflecting on his pastoral experience in Peru, the pope points to families, neighbors, health care professionals, and those engaged in pastoral care who draw near to accompany the sick and suffering, giving compassion a genuine social dimension.

Love of God expressed in service

Leo ties the call to compassion to the primacy of love for God, insisting that care for the suffering is not peripheral to Christian life but a test of its authenticity.

“The primacy of divine love implies that human action is carried out not for self-interest or reward but as a manifestation of a love that transcends ritual norms and find expression in authentic worship. To serve one’s neighbor is to love God through deeds,” he writes.

He closes with an appeal for a Christian way of life shaped by fraternity and courage: “I genuinely hope that 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.”

He also entrusts the sick and all who care for them to the intercession of the Virgin Mary under her title Health of the Sick, and he imparts his apostolic blessing to the sick, their families, and health care and pastoral workers.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.