World Day of the Sick: ‘Love is not passive; it goes out to meet the other,’ says pope
Leo XIV's message for the 34th World Day of the Sick has been released, which will be the heart of celebrations on 11 February 2026, in Chiclayo, Peru. The pontiff slams the culture of "haste" and "indifference”, pointing to the "sweet joy of loving," as an antidote, rooted in the bond with Christ. He cites the parable of the Samaritan and the encyclical Fratelli tutti: “To serve one’s neighbor is to love God through deeds”
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pope Leo XIV released today his message for the 34th World Day of the Sick, which will be solemnly celebrated on 11 February 2026, in Chiclayo, Peru, where the Bishop of Rome was a pastor and missionary.
“We live in a culture of speed, immediacy and haste”, reads the message, but also of ‘discard’ and indifference,” preventing “us from pausing along the way and drawing near to acknowledge the needs and suffering that surround us.”
Yet, there is an antidote to all this, namely “the sweet joy of loving", which Saint Francis experienced when he met the lepers, which springs “from our union with Jesus Christ.”
The theme of the observance is “The compassion of the Samaritan: loving by bearing another’s pain”. And in his message, the pontiff offers a reflection updating the image of the Good Samaritan, cited in the "moving account" of the Evangelist Luke (10:25-37), and still “relevant and essential” today.
The pontiff shares a thought “through the lens of the Encyclical Fratelli Tutti" in which compassion and mercy "toward those in need” are not treated as "an individual effort," but are "realized through relationships.”
In fact, the Samaritan in the famous parable possesses an "open and attentive gaze," which leads him not to pass “by” the wounded man.
This is the same gaze of Jesus, who “does not merely teach us who our neighbor is, but rather how to become a neighbor”. In fact, “no one is truly a neighbor until they freely draw near to another.”
Will is an important trait of love, which is not "passive," but “goes out to meet the other.” And "closeness" is not enough to draw near; intention is needed, the "decision to love," Leo says.
"[C]ompassion is the defining characteristic of active love," which means experiencing "a profound emotion that compels us to act”. This is neither "theoretical" nor "sentimental”, but translates into "concrete gestures", as shown by the Samaritan, who treats and cares for others.
What is more, he "does not act in isolation," the pope stresses. In fact, he turns to an innkeeper. Even today, there are people who share the same compassion.
“I have personally witnessed many who show mercy and compassion in the spirit of the Samaritan and the innkeeper,” the pope explains. “Family members, neighbors, healthcare workers, those engaged in pastoral care for the sick, and many others stop along the way to draw near, heal, support and accompany those in need. By offering what they have, they give compassion a social dimension”.
Such actions transcend “mere individual commitment”, and are made possible by a “network of relationships”. Hence, “in the Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te, I referred to the care of the sick not only as an ‘important part’ of the Church’s mission, but as an authentic ‘ecclesial action’.”
As Leo’s own motto says (In illo uno unum), “‘To be one in the One’ means truly recognizing that we are members of a single Body that brings the Lord’s compassion to the suffering of all people”. This is so since “the pain that moves us to compassion is not the pain of a stranger; it is the pain of a member of our own Body”, Leo XIV adds.
Ultimately, “To serve one’s neighbor is to love God through deeds,” for loving God, one’s neighbor, and oneself are “inseparable”. Indeed, “The primacy of divine love implies that human action is carried out not for self-interest or reward”.
For Leo, following Pope Francis, the “true remedy for humanity’s wounds is a style of life based on fraternal love”.
Finally, the pontiff calls on the faithful to never lose the “fraternal, ‘Samaritan’ dimension" in the Christian lifestyle, which is “rooted in our union with God and our faith in Jesus Christ.”
“Enkindled by this divine love, we will surely be able to give of ourselves for the good of all who suffer, especially our brothers and sisters who are sick, elderly or afflicted,” Leo says.
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