Pope to Camillians: Witnessing to
the tenderness of God
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| Pope Francis meets with members of the Camillo Charismatic Family (Vatican Media) |
Pope Francis meets with men and women religious of the
Camillian Charismatic Family and tells them that listening is the key to
sharing their charism of assisting the sick and the poor.
By Vatican News
Saint Camillus de Lellis founded the Order of Camillians, or
Ministers to the Sick, over 400 years ago. Its identity has remained the same
for over four centuries and finds its expression in the charism of mercy
towards the sick.
Pope Francis referred to this charism when he met with
members of the Order in the Vatican on Monday. When sickness comes and upsets
our lives, he said, “we need a brother or sister beside us”, someone who is
“compassionate and competent, and who consoles and supports us”.
Sharing the charism
The Pope praised the Members of the Camillian Charismatic
Family for living their mission “in an exemplary way” by “assisting the sick,
especially the poorest, in their bodily and spiritual needs, and teaching
others the best way to serve them, for the benefit of the Church and of
humanity”.
All charisms, continued Pope Francis, are gifts of the Holy
Spirit, which are meant to be shared with others. “Over the years, you have
endeavored to incarnate your charism faithfully”, he continued, “translating it
into a multiplicity of apostolic works and pastoral service for the benefit of
suffering humanity throughout the world”.
The original charism
The original mission and charism of Saint Camillus, said
Pope Francis, is today reflected in a "charismatic family”, composed of
religious, secular consecrated persons and laity. “At the center remains the
original charism, as a perennial source of light and inspiration, which is
understood and embodied dynamically in different
forms”.
The Pope reminded his listeners how Saint Camillus de Lellis
asked his first religious communities to serve the sick "with the
affection that a loving mother usually has for her only sick child”. The two
women's congregations that arose in the 19th century and the secular institutes
founded in the last century, the Pope continued, “have given completeness to
the expression of the charism of mercy towards the sick, enriching it with the
markedly feminine qualities of love and care”.
The importance of listening
Pope Francis concluded by inviting the Camillian Charismatic
Family to listen to one another, to the Holy Spirit, and “to the many forms of
suffering and poverty of humanity today”. In this way, he said, you will shine
with ever-new light, “and many young people from all over the world will feel
drawn to it, and join you in continuing to bear witness to the tenderness of
God”.
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