Pope Francis hospital ship
brings Word of God, health care to Amazon region
 |
| The hospital ship Pope Francis |
Pope Francis sends a letter of congratulation for a new
hospital boat, which arrived on Saturday in the Archdiocese of Belém do Pará in
Brazil.
By Vatican News
The “Pope Francis Hospital Ship” has arrived in the
Archdiocese of Belem, and is set to begin work in areas of the Amazon region
which are accessible only by river.
At a ceremony for the launch of the vessel, a letter from
Pope Francis was read, in which the Pontiff expresses the “great satisfaction”
with which he joins those taking part “in this moment of joyful thanksgiving to
God.” He notes that the hospital ship “will bring the Word of God and offer
access to better health care to the most needy people” along a stretch of the
Amazon extending around one thousand kilometers.
A response to the Lord's mandate
“In addition to being a beautiful concrete gesture in view
of the Synod of Bishops for Amazonia,” the Pope says, “this river hospital is
above all a response to the Lord's mandate, who continues to send His disciples
to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” In fact, the Holy Father
says, the “primordial mission” of the new hospital ship will be to promote the
“abundant life” that Jesus offers to all men and women.
In his letter, Pope Francis recalls once again the image of
the Church as a “field hospital” which “welcomes everyone without distinction
or conditions,” noting that with this new initiative, the Church can also be
seen as a “hospital on the water.”
Sign of faith and solidarity
“Just as Jesus, in appearing walking on the waters, calmed
the storm and strengthened the faith of the disciples,” he says, “this boat
will bring both spiritual comfort and calm to the upheavals of needy men and
women, abandoned to their fate.”
The Holy Father concludes his letter with a word of thanks
to Bishop Bernardo Bahlmann of Óbidos (Brazil), the main proponent of the
initiative, along with the Franciscans of Providence, for “this beautiful sign
of faith and Christian solidarity.”
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét