Pope Francis Explains "Jesus' actions towards the sick...spoke to them, listened to them...and healed them. The family doctor is like this, present, close, capable of giving warmth..."
.png)
TO PARTICIPANTS IN THE INTERNATIONAL MEETING PROMOTED BY
"SOMOS COMMUNITY CARE"
Clementine Hall - Saturday, May 25, 2024
Pope Francis on Saturday welcomed to the Vatican members of SOMOS Community Care, an independent practice association based in New York, U.S.A, that provides services underprivileged people through a network of diverse, community-based physicians, specialists, health care providers and medical facilities.________________________________________
Dear friends, good morning and welcome!
I'm happy to meet you. I greet Doctor Ramon Tallaj, founder of SOMOS Community Care, and Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia President of the Pontifical Academy for Life. Together, in recent days, you have wanted to reflect on the importance of re-evaluating the role and presence, in the health and social fields, of the family doctor, and this is very beautiful, because it is a fundamental figure, which combines competence and proximity. I would therefore like to briefly underline two aspects of this mission, starting from its definition: that of being a doctor and that of being "family".
First: the doctor, that is, the one who takes care. Science today has made great strides. We can access therapies that were unimaginable until a few decades ago. But medicine, even the most technologically advanced, is always first and foremost a human encounter, made up of care, closeness and listening and this is the mission of the family doctor.
When we are ill, in the doctor we look, in addition to the competent professional, for a friendly presence on which we can count, who gives us confidence in recovery and who, even when this is not possible, does not leave us alone, but continues to look us in the eyes and assist us , until the end. Saint Luke - whom Saint Paul calls "the dear doctor" (Col 4:14), a colleague of yours! – describes Jesus' actions towards the sick in this way (see Luke 5:12-26; 8:40-56): Jesus approached, entered their homes, spoke to them, listened to them, welcomed them into their suffering and healed them. The family doctor is like this, present, close, capable of giving warmth as well as professional assistance, because he personally knows his patients and their loved ones and walks with them, day by day, even at the cost of sacrifices.
As a child, I remember the family doctor coming to the house and healing us; I also remember the family midwife because there are five of us, so when that woman came with the suitcase, we knew a little brother was coming! The family doctor at the time is a familiar one and I have many good memories of the family doctor. And this brings us to the second reason why his role is precious: being a "family" person. It is the community dimension of assistance, which requires "contextualising [...] each patient in his relationships" and in his "affective and social bonds". [1] The presence of the family doctor, in fact, helps to surround the patient with a network of affection, sharing and solidarity, which goes beyond the diagnostic-therapeutic phase, strengthening human relationships, making suffering a moment of communion to be experienced together, not only for the good of the patient, but for that of everyone: those who care, family members, the wider community. This avoids the risk that the person suffering and those close to them are sucked into the machine of bureaucracy and computerization; or worse, that they end up victims of market logic that has little to do with health, especially when it comes to elderly and frail people.
Care and familiarity are two gifts of great value for those who suffer! As I was saying, I have many fond memories of the family doctor. I remember - I was born in '36 - I remember July 15th '42, my mother was expecting the fourth and my brothers and I, my brother was with the flu, the doctor came and said: "I'm looking... ”. A very beautiful memory! And he gives us the medicine, he was a cold, a flu. And then he approached mom, mom was there with dad and he touched her belly saying: “Eh, it's time already! Let's hope so…". And that same evening the fourth was born. These memories of tenderness, of familiarity with the family doctor, are things that I carry with me because at that time things were so, so beautiful!
Therefore, dear friends, what you are doing is important. I renew my blessing on your project and pray for you. And I ask you, please, do not forget to pray for me. Thank you!
Comments