2025 World Day of the Sick
On February 11,2025 the Church commemorates the 33rd World Day of the Sick
World Day of the Sick, established by Pope John Paul II in 1992, is observed annually on February 11th, coinciding with the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.
Every three years, the celebration takes a solemn form at a Marian Shrine. Due to the Jubilee Year 2025, the Holy Father Francis has ordered that the solemn celebration, which should take place this year, be held on 11 February 2026 at the Marian Shrine of the Virgen de Chapi, in Arequipa, Peru. In 2025, the Church will celebrate World Day of the Sick in the ordinary form, at diocesan level, on 11 February: the Jubilee of the Sick and the World of Healthcare on 5 and 6 April; and the Jubilee of People with Disabilities on 28 and 29 April.
This day raises awareness about the importance of caring for individuals facing illness, particularly chronic or severe health challenges. It emphasizes compassion, recognizing the dignity of those who are sick, and acknowledges the crucial roles of healthcare workers, caregivers, and volunteers in providing support.
The objectives of World Day of the Sick include promoting compassion, recognizing caregivers’ contributions, highlighting healthcare challenges, and encouraging prayer and reflection.
In this Jubilee Year, in which the Church invites us to become ‘pilgrims of hope’, to celebrate the Day dedicated to the sick, the Holy Father has chosen, for His message, a passage from St Paul’s Letter to the Romans, in which the apostle infuses the Christian community of Rome with courage. “Hope does not disappoint” . Hope, the central message of the Jubilee, gives substance to the Pope’s invitation, and at the same time his wish, to all those who suffer and to those who care for the sick.
Images
- Photo by Hush Naidoo Jade Photography on Unsplash
Sources
- The Pope’s Message for the World Day of the Sick 2025: “Hope does not disappoint” (Rom 5:5), but strengthens us in times of trial
- The Pope’s Message for the World Day of the Sick 2025 is published – Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development