Health Sunday: February 9, 2003

Theme: Caring for My Neighbour –
                          “If we love one another God lives in us” (1Jn 4: 12).

My dear Sisters and Brothers and Collaborators in the healthcare ministry,

                    1. The memorable celebration of the 10th World Day of the Sick, held at the Shrine-Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health, Vailankanni is fresh and vivid in our minds and hearts. As the new Chairman of the CBCI Commission for Healthcare, I wish to recall once again with deep-felt gratitude all those who contributed in various ways to the success of that official International Programme which took place from February 9 to 11, 2002.

The theme selected for the Health and Healing Week is: Caring for My Neighbour – “If we love one another God lives in us” (1Jn 4: 12). Yes, to care for each other is the guiding light for 2003’s Health Sunday, Health and Healing Week, and the 11th World Day of the Sick. In the deplorable background of the growing tension between individuals and communities and of the sporadic outbursts of communal violence in various parts of our country, an in-depth reflection on this theme is vital for us and, indeed, significant.

                 2. Health and Caring: Recent times have widened our perspective on the term health. Health is now considered to be the core of all human developments. World Health Organization defined health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, instead of the prior conception as merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The Holy Father Pope John Paul II, brought our understanding even deeper by explaining health as “…far from being identified with the mere absence of illness, [it] strives to achieve a fuller harmony and healthy balance on the physical, psychological, spiritual and social level. In this perspective, the person himself is called to mobilize all his available energies to fulfill his own vocation and for the good of others.” (Message for the 8th World Day of the Sick). Thus, the term health implies harmonious living together and true caring for one another. Caring means feeling so united as to be one with the other, especially in the moments of suffering and sickness. It involves positive action, with compassion and commitment.

                      3. Neighbour: If we look to the Gospel, we see that when the lawyer asked “who is my neighbour?”, Christ showed, through the story of the compassionate Samaritan, that the question had been wrongly framed: Do not ask who your neighbour is, instead become the neighbour of others! Change the direction of your existence! On that road which led from Jerusalem to Jericho, the priest and the Levite were also found. But they passed by the wounded man, without caring about him and without concern. They did not change the direction of their existence. Their affairs, which were taking them to Jerusalem, blinded them so much so that their eyes were kept from recognizing him.

It was the Good Samaritan who chose to interrupt his journey, to upset his plans –and the course of his life– for a man who was lying wounded at the side of the road. He gave his time and money for that stranger. He promised to return, which meant that he took on a responsibility in the longer term. The suffering of the other, recognized and accepted by the passer-by as his own responsibility, was enough to make him pledge personal commitment.

Christ teaches us that every needy person is our neighbour. Every other life, born or unborn, is our neighbour. The Good Samaritan of modern times carries out his mission through a humanization of the world of health and suffering.

                    4. Caring for our neighbour means to be instruments of peace and harmony. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the original Greek word used to indicate “the one who is lying on the wayside” is “anthropos”. Curiously enough “anthropos” does not give any indication of gender. What follows in the parable indicates that we are talking about a male, but nothing at all is said about his race, religion or social rank. Is he a Jew? An immigrant? A foreigner? Is he a religious-person or a non-believer? We do not know at the beginning, and we do not know at the end. This shows us that, in order to define who our neighbour is, Jesus rejects any consideration of these categories. The only facts which are supplied to identify the person are those relating to what had happened to him and the painful situation in which he found himself. He was a wounded man, a man half-dead – this was his identity. It is not even known if he was able to cry out or to moan.

We need to go beyond all categories. Each and every human person, created in the image and likeness of God, is our primary consideration.

The recent outbursts of communal violence in Gujarat, the persisting tension in Jammu-Kashmir, North Eastern States, and the possibility of eruption of similar violence in other States cry out for special attention by every citizen of our country.

Discussing the theme Dialogue, the General Body of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, held in Jalandhar, encouraged everyone to promote consciously inter-religious dialogue and understanding at all levels. Dialogue should orient Prayer Sessions, Awareness-building Programmes, Reunions in our health care institutions, and Formation Programmes for healthcare providers and volunteers. Every effort should be made to infuse a sense of solidarity and oneness, and thus, to expel communal and parochial sentiments.

                    5. Caring for our neighbour implies protecting life, and promoting every life: The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II exhorts everyone “to build a culture of love and life and to fight against the culture of death”. Life is to be protected from the very moment of conception to its natural death. But we see a growing anti-life mentality everywhere. The anti-life tendency destroys life through surgical and chemical abortion, infanticide and euthanasia. It degrades human life through pornography, gender feminism and homosexual activity. It prevents life through the use of contraceptives. The census of the year 2001 had revealed the shocking picture of child sex ratio in India. The sex ratio for the children of 0-6 year age group in some States is as low as 793 females per 1000 males. The main cause for this is pre-natal sex determination followed by selective termination of pregnancy in the case of female foetus. Recently, both houses of Parliament of the Government of India passed the Amendments of the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act. We urge every healthcare provider and all leaders of communities to take a proactive role against pre-natal sex selection and sex determination, as these practices are unjust, unethical and illegal. Together with the Holy Father, we earnestly urge everyone “to build a culture of love and life”.

                    6. Caring for our neighbour means to strive for better health for everyone. If health is the right of every individual, everyone has a duty to assure it for himself or herself and neighbour. How true it is, as Michael Wilson wrote in his book “Health is for People”, that “there is no health for me without my brother”! To prevent and prevail over most of the known diseases, a concerted action is necessary. Smallpox has been globally eradicated, thanks to an internationally recognized collective effort. Similarly, plans have been launched to eradicate Polio and guinea-worm infection. We need to have such programmes also for Leprosy, Tuberculosis (TB), HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis and so on. Catholic Health Association of India (CHAI) has its main focus in the coming years on three major diseases such as HIV/AIDS, TB and Leprosy. Through the initiative of the CBCI Commission for Health, “the CBCI-IGNOU Chair on Health and Social Welfare” was instituted at the Indira Gandhi National Open University and the first Study Programme launched by this Chair is on “HIV and Family Education”. Information and Application Forms can be obtained from Regional Centers of IGNOU. This Diploma or Certificate Course will enable one to study in-depth issues like HIV, drug abuse and related problems and train oneself on counseling and communication. Government of India has massive programmes on Pulse Polio Immunization, DOTS for TB and MDT to eradicate Leprosy. Such efforts should be utilized to the maximum. All our Institutions should collaborate with these initiatives so that health may be assured for everyone.

                    7. Caring for our neighbour means a life of sharing. Approximately 3 million people in our country are affected by cornea blindness. They are waiting to gain sight. Cornea retrieval programmes are to be encouraged so that many more gain eyesight. Similar pledges for organ transplants and periodical campaigns for blood donation and other such healthcare drives are constructive areas in our interpersonal relationships that would facilitate a life of sharing.

During this year’s Health Sunday and Health and Healing Week, let us come together to pray, to study, to reflect on our health ministry. And above all, let us unite to commit ourselves anew to promote health and well-being in our societies.

May Our Lady of Health make her motherly protection felt by all her suffering children. May She help us to care for our neighbour, and thus become true witnesses of her Son, the Divine Healer.

Yours in Jesus,

+ Bishop Bernard Moras Bishop of Belgaum and
New Delhi Chairman, Commission for Health
Jan. 3, 2003 Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India

CBCI Commission for Healthcare
1, Ashok Place, Gole Dakkhana
CBCI Centre, New Delhi-110 001
Tel. 011-23 344 470 / 233 40 774
Email: cbciheal@bol.net.in