After nearly two months, Pope Francis made a surprise public appearance at the Jubilee of the Sick and Healthcare Workers in St. Peter’s Square. The event, which gathered around 20,000 pilgrims from 90 countries, included patients, healthcare professionals, and volunteers, who came together for prayer, dialogue, and pilgrimage. The Holy Father participated in the sacrament of reconciliation and prayer before passing through the Holy Door with the pilgrims. The event culminated in a Mass, presided over by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, who read a homily written by Pope Francis, in which he shared his personal connection to the sick and the lessons learned from illness. The Sisters Hospitallers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a religious order focused on caring for those with mental illness, also participated, with their Mother Superior emphasizing the deep role faith plays in healing. In his Angelus message, Pope Francis expressed gratitude for the healthcare workers' compassion, noting that he had felt God’s 'benevolent caress' through their care and prayed for continued blessings on those suffering and encouragement for those who care for them. EWTN Vatican Journalist Bénédicte Cedergren has more.
Related reading : The sickbed as a holy place: Pope Francis reflects on his own illness at Jubilee of Sick
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