World Day of the Sick

THERE ARE special places in our world that represent hope. Places we have visited, talked about, or heard of. These places have been walked upon by our beloved saints, touched by many miracles, and dear to our faith.
The Marian shrine of Lourdes in France is one of these places. The day February 11 is marked as the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes to commemorate the Grotto, where pilgrims travel from distant places to pray and find solace in times of sickness, and hope in times of despair.
On May 13, 1992, former Pope John Paul II declared February 11 World Day of the Sick, to recognise the people that nurture the ill, and to shed light on human suffering, and the mystery that surrounds it.

John Paul's legacy

The World Day of the Sick formally began in 1993 with a celebration in the very place that inspired it: Lourdes, France.  It is an annual event that is celebrated in a different country every year to signify the joining together of a nation by faith.  'From St. Peter's Basilica our gaze now broadens to take in so many other localities where Christian communities are gathered,' said Pope John Paul II in his message last year at the thirteenth annual World Day of the Sick in Cameroon, Africa.
The event has been hosted in many countries over the years. 2006 marks the second year that the World Day of the Sick is coming down under, following France, Lebanon, Africa and Italy. Four years ago more than 3,000 people attended a special service in Sydney's St. Mary's Cathedral, to celebrate for the first time the occasion in Australia.
Pope Benedict XVI nominated the city of Adelaide to host the fourteenth annual World Day of the Sick, centring this year on the theme Mental Health and Human Dignity. The event will be carried out over a three day period beginning with a public conference on February 9th to examine mental health issues and advocate solutions.
A public reception for Vatican dignitaries will follow on the 10th, in what is known as a Pastoral Day, where the community will have the opportunity to listen to the experiences of others, and meet with Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, who heads the Pontifical Council for Health Care.
Finally, on the 11th, the event will come to a close with the sacrament of the anointing of the sick during a special public Mass at Adelaide's St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral. In attendance will be Vatican delegates and other Bishops of Australia and Oceania.
His Grace, Most Reverend Philip Wilson DD JCL, said in a welcome note, 'On behalf of the Archdiocese of the city of Adelaide, I extend to you all a warm welcome to the Fourteenth World Day of the Sick. We are delighted to be hosting this occasion which will bring to the forefront of our minds those who are sick and suffering in our communities, as well as those who devote themselves with such generosity and commitment to the care of those who are ill'.

Neglected emergency

This year will mark the first year that Pope John Paul II will be absent from the celebration. In his message last year, Pope John Paul II spoke of his ongoing admiration for the event, and his deep connection to it. 'I extend my greeting with deep sympathy to you, dear pilgrims, who have come here to relive Lourdes's special atmosphere; to you dear volunteers; and especially to you, dear sick people, to whom I feel particularly close.'
Pope Benedict XVI also gave mention to the former Pope in his message from the Vatican on December 8, 2005, acknowledging his dedication to the event. 'Remembering the attention that my venerated predecessor John Paul II gave to this annual event, I, too, dear brothers and sisters, would like to make myself spiritually present at the World Day of the Sick.'
Carrying the theme Mental Health and Human Dignity, the event this year aims to highlight the seriousness of the problems surrounding mental heath issues in our world today.  'On that occasion, the Church intends to bow with especial solicitude to the suffering, calling the attention of public opinion to the problems connected with mental disturbance which by now afflicts a fifth of mankind, and constitutes a real and authentic social-health care emergency,' the Pope said in his message from the Vatican last year.
The issue of Mental Health and Human Dignity within our world has been of great concern for the Pope, who first mentioned the issue at an international conference held in Rome 10 years ago. Today statistics show that mental health is looming as one of the major health topics affecting our world, and, with the issue having limited public attention, the problem is not expected to resolve, but certainly to worsen.
'Unfortunately, in many parts of the world the services for sick people are lacking, insufficient or in a state of decay,' stated the Pope. 'The social context does not always accept the mentally ill with their limitations, and it is also for this reason that difficulties are encountered in securing the human and financial resources that are needed,' he concluded.

Staggering reality

It may appear a surprising fact that in Australia alone the most hindering illness is not cancer but depression, with millions of people affected by the disease each year. The most staggering reality to note is that mental health is still at the backbone of medical science, while research and treatment for diseases such as cancer are being advanced. Perhaps society's position on mental health stems from a lack of knowledge, which therefore generates a lack of concern among the other, more fatal diseases that are noticeably damaging.
Whatever the case, this year's World Day of the Sick is sure to make some noise and turn global awareness to the issues of mental health by exploring its severity and the state of mental health care around the world.  'I thus encourage the efforts of those who work to ensure that all mentally ill people are given access to necessary forms of care and treatment,' stated the Pope.
Garry McDonald, one of Australia's best known and most admired multi award winning actors will be addressing the public at the Pastoral Day on February 10 to share his story and struggle with the mental health disease that began terrorising him at the young age of 22.

Day of hope

Health professionals, academics, carers, priests, government representatives and the public in general will each play a part in trying to make this year's World Day of the Sick impact on the perception of mental health in our world, and ultimately aim to recognise the people that so often go unnoticed in their work as carers for the sick.  'May the Holy Virgin comfort those who are afflicted by illness, and support those who, like the Good Samaritan, soothe their corporeal and spiritual wounds,' said the Pope in his message. 'I assure each one of you that you will be remembered in my prayers, and I willingly impart my Blessing on you all,' he finished.
The hope this year is that the World Day of the Sick will raise awareness to the issues of mental health, and soften the misconceptions formed by society against people who suffer from the disease. It is also hoped that the event will help implement more strategies and treatments so that the mentally ill, like all others who suffer from disease, will have a fighting chance to survive, and, finally, that it will bring society to greater acknowledgment and praise of those who help the mentally ill in their struggle for peace.
There is no end to human suffering, there is only the hope that things will get better. Perhaps it's true what they say: a little hope can go a long way. In the case of the World Day of the Sick that hope has spread to a nation, proving that there is indeed faith in our world.