As the Church celebrates the 34th World Day of the Sick, Cardinal Michael Czerny celebrates Mass in Chiclayo, Peru, and invites Christians to care for one another, especially in moments of illness or pain.
By Devin Watkins
Pope Leo XIV has sent Cardinal Michael Czerny as his special envoy to his former Peruvian Diocese of Chiclayo to mark the 34th World Day of the Sick.
The Cardinal Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development celebrated Mass on Wednesday at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Peace.
In his homily, Cardinal Czerny recalled Pope Leo XIV’s special bond with the Diocese of Chiclayo, where he served as Bishop from 2015 until 2023.
He pointed to Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan, saying the Pope’s message for the World Day of the Sick invites everyone to bear the pain of others.
The Cardinal drew from the message and highlighted that healing love must be driven by a personal experience, leading us on a true path of conversion, or “turning toward” the pain of another person.
“Love is a process of conversion, in the most authentic sense of the term!” he said. “It is a matter of ‘looking with God’s eyes,’ of not being content to coldly proclaim dire prophecies or announce tragic diagnoses, but rather of always being ready to change course, to bend down with hope, again and again, toward the other.”
Cardinal Czerny urged Christians to pray for the grace to “be converted” so that the pain of others may radically change the course of our lives and plans.
He also pointed to the social dimension of compassion, which weaves a web of relationships that goes beyond a single person’s commitment.
“Only in this way,” said the Cardinal, “can God Himself continue to respond to the needs of so many, unfolding His saving action through the active commitment of those who, united solely by the desire to serve their brothers and sisters, take on, together, their pain.”
Cardinal Czerny recalled that Pope Leo’s message upholds the bond between loving God and serving our neighbor in their practical need.
“As Christians,” he said, “we can never forget that our love for others is always a concrete expression of our love for God and that, conversely, we cannot say or think that we love God without passing along the path of love—that is, love given to the other who needs me.”
In conclusion, the Cardinal Prefect called on everyone to open ourselves to encounter God in those who suffer in body due to illness.
