Vatican City, Feb 12, 2006 / 22:00 pm
For visitors to the Vatican, Saturday marked both the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and appropriately, the 14th annual World Day of the Sick. Pope Benedict XVI used the opportunity to stress the importance of human dignity when caring for the sick and mentally ill, and even went so far as to dedicate his new Encyclical to health care workers and volunteers in the field.
Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar general for the diocese of Rome, was on hand to celebrate an afternoon Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica for the sick and for pilgrims of UNITALSI (Italian National Union for Transport of the Sick to Lourdes and International Shrines), and of Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi.
Following Mass, Pope Benedict came to the basilica to bless the sick and address some words to those present.
In his brief address, Pope Benedict recalled the grotto of Massabielle, in Lourdes, at which, he said “the Virgin showed the tenderness of God towards those who suffer.”