As we mark the first year of the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV, we join in thanksgiving for a journey marked by closeness, compassion, and a profoundly human outlook toward those who suffer the most.
From the beginning of his pontificate, the Holy Father has insisted on the need to build a culture of care, where every person is recognized in their dignity, especially those living in situations of illness, vulnerability, or exclusion. His gestures and words have constantly reminded us that no one should be left behind.
Throughout this first year, many of his pastoral visits were shaped by encounters with sick persons, healthcare professionals, and communities dedicated to care. In April 2026, during his visit to the Jean-Pierre Olie Psychiatric Hospital in Equatorial Guinea, the Pope expressed with great depth the meaning of Christian care:
“A truly great society is not one that hides its weaknesses, but one that surrounds them with love.”
During the same encounter, he emphasized that God loves each person exactly as they are, yet that love always seeks to heal, accompany, and restore hope. His words resonated especially with those who dedicate their lives to healthcare service:
“A hospital, especially one inspired by Christian values, is precisely this: a place where people are welcomed as they are, respected in their fragility, but helped to become better, through an integral vision of the human person.”
For our Hospital Family, this message confirms and strengthens the charism received from Saint Benedict Menni: to make God’s mercy present through hospitality lived with tenderness, professionalism, and daily dedication.
Also, during his visit to the Hospital of the Cross in Beirut, Pope Leo XIV acknowledged the quiet value of caregivers, comparing doctors, religious sisters, and healthcare workers to the Good Samaritan who stops in the face of human suffering. There he reminded us that:
“In the wounded face of the poor, we find the suffering of Christ imprinted.”
His words are a call not to grow accustomed to the suffering of others, and to continue building communities where fragility is not hidden, but accompanied with love and dignity.
Celebrating this first year of the pontificate is also an opportunity to renew the hospital mission of caring for life, defending the dignity of every person, and making a true culture of encounter and compassion a reality each day.
