The Congregation of the Hospital Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus joins the Church in expressing its joy on the election of Your Holiness as the Bishop of Rome, Mother of all Churches and as Pastor of the Universal Church.

We welcome your words during your first greeting to the Church as Pope and express our wish to walk in brotherhood, confidence and love and incessantly pray for each other.

We thank you for your willingness to accept this service to the Church into the faith and we pray that the wisdom and the strength of the Holy Spirit will accompany you in your duty of guiding the Church to its Supreme Pastor Jesus Christ.

We entrust your ministry to Mary, Mother of the faithful, asking her to act as a Mother and Teacher in leading all the children of the Church to the Father, who waits to enfold us all in his kind and merciful embrace. Above all, we ask you to help us to be a Church that is closer to the poor, to those who suffer and to all those who feel abandoned by the Christian communities.

With a profound sense of communion, we express to you our desire and willingness to cooperate in the new evangelisation, based on our specific vocation of women who are consecrated to the service of our suffering brothers and sisters.

We invoke your blessing as the Pastor and convey to you our filial affection and our constant prayer on behalf of all our sisters, patients and those who collaborate with us.

Receive our profound acknowledgement and communion.

Anabela Carneiro. General Mother Superior