THE COMPASSION OF THE SAMARITAN: LOVING BY BEARING ANOTHER’S PAIN
Pope Leo’s Message for the 34th World Day of the Sick was published today, and is titled “The compassion of the Samaritan: loving by bearing another’s pain.” He begins by noting that this World Day will be solemnly celebrated in Chiclayo, Peru, on February 11, 2026, a place he knows well having served there as a missionary and then as bishop for many years. In fact, he speaks of his experience in Chiclayo, saying he knew many “who showed compassion in the spirit of the Samaritan.” Leo said he chose to reflect “on the figure of the Good Samaritan, for he is always relevant and essential for rediscovering the beauty of charity and the social dimension of compassion. This reflection further directs our attention towards the needy and all those who suffer, especially the sick.”
Referring to “the moving account found in the Gospel of Saint Luke (cf. Lk 10:25-37),” writes Leo XIV, “I have chosen to reflect on this biblical passage through the lens of the Encyclical Fratelli Tutti, written by my beloved predecessor Pope Francis. There, compassion and mercy towards those in need are not reduced to a merely individual effort, but are realized through relationships: with our brothers and sisters in need, with those who care for them and, ultimately, with God who gives us his love.”
Pope Leo in Lebanon: “Place the sick at the center of society” (EWTN photo)
His first point is titled, “The gift of encounter: the joy of offering closeness and presence.”
Leo writes: “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. In the parable, when the Samaritan saw the wounded man, he did not “pass by.” Instead, he looked upon him with an open and attentive gaze – the very gaze of Jesus – which led him to act with human and compassionate closeness. The Samaritan “stopped, approached the man and cared for him personally, even spending his own money to provide for his needs… [Above all] he gave him his time.” 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. …Being a neighbor is not determined by physical or social proximity, but by the decision to love. This is why Christians become neighbors to those who suffer, following the example of Christ, the true divine Samaritan who drew near to a wounded humanity.”
“The gift of encounter,” stresses the Pope, “flows from our union with Jesus Christ. We recognize him as the Good Samaritan who has brought us eternal salvation, and we make him present whenever we reach out to a wounded brother or sister.
Leo’s second point: The shared mission of caring for the sick
“In my experience as a missionary and bishop in Peru,” recounted the Holy Father, “I have personally witnessed many who show mercy and compassion in the spirit of the Samaritan and the innkeeper. 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. This experience, occurring within a network of relationships, transcends mere individual commitment. For this reason, 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” (n. 49).
Quoting his own papal motto, “To be one in the One,” Leo XIV said this means truly recognizing that we are members of a single Body that brings the Lord’s compassion to the suffering of all people, each according to our own vocation.”
His third and final point: Always driven by love for God, to encounter ourselves and our neighbor”
He explained that, “In the double commandment, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself’ ( Lk 10:27), we recognize the primacy of love for God and its direct consequences for every dimension of human love and relationship.”
The Holy Father’s Message for the World Day of the Sick ends with an ancient prayer that, he says,” that has been invoked in families for those living with illness and pain”:
Sweet Mother, do not part from me.
Turn not your eyes away from me.
Walk with me at every moment
and never leave me alone.
You who always protect me
as a true Mother,
obtain for me the blessing of the Father,
Son and Holy Spirit.
(34th World Day of the Sick 2026)
Joan's Rome 