At the Grotto of Lourdes in the Vatican Gardens, Pope Leo XIV pays homage to the Immaculate Conception

A prayer for the sick and those who care for them

“Today, on this day dedicated to the sick, we wish to pray in communion with all those who suffer throughout the world. We pray for you. I sincerely thank you for making the effort to come and to accompany us in this moment of prayer, here before our Mother Mary, on her liturgical memorial, Our Lady of Lourdes.” These were the words of Pope Leo XIV, spoken in front of the Grotto of Lourdes in the Vatican Gardens on Wednesday morning, 11 February, after the General Audience.

On the day when the Church celebrated the liturgical memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lourdes and marked the 34th World Day of the Sick, the Pope paid homage to Mary by lighting a candle before the statue of the Immaculate Conception.

He then recited the Hail Mary with those present and addressed them, invoking the Lord’s blessing “for you, for all the sick on this day and always, and for all those who accompany them: the medical sciences, doctors, nurses, and the many people who are close to us, especially in the most difficult moments.”

In the Apostolic Exhortation “Dilexi te”, Pope Leo XIV underscores the Lord’s care and love for the most needy and vulnerable: “The signs that accompany Jesus’ preaching are in fact manifestations of the love and compassion with which God looks upon the sick, the poor, and sinners who, by virtue of their condition, were marginalized in society and also by religion; He opens the eyes of the blind, heals lepers, raises the dead, and proclaims the good news to the poor: God has drawn near, God loves you (cf. Lk 7:22).”