Price € 1,00. Back issues € 2,00 L’O S S E RVATOR E ROMANO WEEKLY EDITION IN ENGLISH Unicuique suum Non praevalebunt Fifty-third year, number 39 (2.665) Vatican City Friday, 25 September 2020 Letter “Samaritanus bonus” of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Medicine as ‘therapeutic art’ LUIS FRANCISCO LADARIA FERRER* Christ, a participating witness in the physical pain, in the experience During the 2018 Plenary Session of of precariousness and even of hu- the Congregation for the Doctrine man desolation, which in him be- of the Faith, with regard to issues come trusting abandonment to the concerning the accompaniment of Fa t h e r ’s love. This trusting sur- the sick in the critical and terminal render of self to the Father, in view phases of life, the fathers of the of the Resurrection, gives a re- Dicastery suggested the expediency demptive value to suffering itself of a document that would deal and discloses the light of the after- with this theme, not only in a doc- life beyond the darkness of death. trinally correct manner, but also Thus, in the text, the perspective using strong pastoral tones and of those who take care of people in comprehensible language, in keep- the critical and terminal phases of ing with the progress of medical life has been appropriately joined sciences. It was necessary to deep- with a perspective of hope for the en, in particular, the themes of ac- suffering experienced by those who companiment and care of the sick are entrusted to the loving care of from a theological, anthropological healthcare workers. and medical and hospital point of Each sick person, in fact, “has view, also focusing on some relev- the need not only to be heard, but ant ethical issues involved in the to understand that their inter- proportionality of therapies and locutor ‘knows’ what it means to concerning conscientious objection feel alone, neglected, and tormen- and the pastoral accompaniment of ted by the prospect [of death], of the terminally ill. physical pain. Added to this is the In light of these considerations, suffering caused when society after several preliminary phases of equates their value as persons to study in which several experts their quality of life and makes offered their qualified editorial them feel like a burden to others” contribution, a first draft of the (n. 9). Thus, “while essential and document finally took shape. The invaluable, palliative care in itself text, alongside the figure of the is not enough unless there is Good Samaritan, offers a brief ref- erence to the figure of the suffering CONTINUED ON PA G E 7 The Letter Samaritanus Bonus is available online in its entirety at: h t t p : / / w w w.v a t i c a n .v a / ro m a n _ curia/cong re gations/cfaith/do cu- ments/rc _ con_cfaith_do c_20200714_samaritanus-b onus_it.html. “Good Samaritan”, by Paulus Hoffman General Communication according to Christians, namely, hope Audience Francis: the heart of mankind “reaches toward the future” ANDREA MONDA past, that is, we each reactivate our memory in order to seek, in the baggage of our experience, a suggestion, a Pope Francis has returned to speak on a theme very way to get through the moment we are facing. It is the dear to his heart: the future. He did so in speaking future itself that, by presenting itself, performs this re- with the editorial staff of the Belgian magazine, “Te r - activation of the memory, bringing back to mind tio”, on Friday, 18 September, recalling that: “A Chris- scenes, situations, episodes of the past. This is why the tian communications professional must be a bearer of future is so important; it tells us that we, as individu- hope and confidence in the future. Because only when als, are “de-centralized”; we find our centre of gravity the future is received as a positive and possible reality, outside ourselves, in something that precedes us, that even the present becomes livable”. stands before us and draws us. In some way, the Pope says, the present is gener- This applies to every person and even more so to ated, in its concrete possibility, by the future. Imagin- Christians. We know that our “heart”, the centre of our ing the future, a possible, “human” future, is crucial to life, is in God and until we “re s t ” in God (as under- being able to live the present. The use of the verb “re - stood by the genius of Saint Augustine) we are restless; ceive” is significant: the future and present are two we are, indeed, de-centralized. Thus, this heart is “b ey- gifts (the word “p re s e n t ” already points to this in its ond us”; it is in the future which, for now, we can only meaning) that man can and must be able to receive. imagine. This is a typical aspect of Christians, which We could say even more: that the past is also born, nurtures our faith by listening to the Word of God, “pro ceeds”, from the future. In facing challenges rep- reading the text of the Bible, a book that gave a great resented by the future, which is always an “ad-ven- gift to mankind precisely by giving us the future. Be- t u re ”, something that is about to come, each person PAGE 3 examines the present and does so with a glimpse of the CONTINUED ON PA G E 2 page 2 L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO Friday, 25 September 2020, number 39 Francis: the heart of mankind “re a c h e s toward the future” VAT I C A N CONTINUED FROM PA G E 1 fore the Old and New Testa- BULLETIN of the diocese of Nicopoli, Bulgaria, ments, in fact, the future had no the Msgr Strahil Veselinov Kavalen- proper and legitimate citizenship ov. Until now he has served as vicar in the ideas and lives of ancient AUDIENCES A. Bevard from his office as Bishop general of the same circumscription people. For example, for the of the diocese of Saint Thomas, Vir- Greeks there was no future, but it Thursday, 17 September gin Islands, USA (18 Sept.). (15 Sept.). corresponded to the eternal return Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Archbish- The Holy Father appointed Bishop of the identical, that is, to the cyc- op of München und Freising, Feder- Gianpiero Palmieri, as vicegerent of lical repetition of the past. This SYNOD OF BISHOPS al Republic of Germany, coordinator the diocese of Rome, elevating him was the inescapable destiny that, of the Council for the Economy to the dignity of Archbishop of the like a wheel, always turned back titular see of Idassa. Until now he The Holy Father accepted the resig- on itself, never managing to free Cardinal Carlos Osoro Sierra, Arch- has served as Auxiliary bishop of nation presented by Cardinal itself from the rhythms of nature bishop of Madrid, Spain, with Car- Rome, Italy (19 Sept.). Lorenzo Baldisseri from the office of by which after winter the spring dinal Juan José Omella Omella, always returned, and so on, for Secretary General of the Synod of Archbishop of Barcelona, Spain The Holy Father accepted the resig- ever. Ulysses returns home to nation presented by Bishop Hubert Bishops (15 Sept.). Friday, 18 September Ithaca and ends up encountering Berenbrinker from his office as Aux- his father Laertes, that is, the iliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of The Holy Father appointed Bishop Archbishop Luciano Suriani, titular past. Instead with Abraham, the Paderborn, Germany (21 Sept.). Mario Grech, Bishop emeritus of the Archbishop of Amiterno, Apostolic Lord speaks and proposes that Nuncio to Serbia The Holy Father accepted the resig- diocese of Gozo, formerly pro-sec- Abraham go to a foreign land nation presented by Cardinal Gio- retary general of the same Synod of that “I will show you”. And Ab- Bishop Paul Hinder, OFM Cap., titu- lar Bishop of Macon, Vicar Apostol- vanni Angelo Becciu from the office Bishops, as secretary general of the raham moves, driven, as Saint ic of Southern Arabia, Apostolic Ad- as Prefect of the Congregation for Synod of Bishops (15 Sept.). Paul would say, by a “spes contra the Causes of Saints and from the ministrator of the Apostolic Vicariate spem”, hoping against all hope. rights connected with the Cardinal- of Northern Arabia Thus, for a Christian the future ate (24 Sept.). PONTIFICAL ACADEMY OF not only reactivates the memory, Editorial staff of the weekly publica- SO CIAL SCIENCES but spurs hope, this new and de- tion “Te r t i o ”, Belgium cisive virtue that the Bible places APOSTOLIC NUNCIO Saturday, 19 September The Holy Father appointed Profess- at the centre of human existence. Saint Paul, speaking to the Cardinal Marc Ouellet, PSS, Prefect The Holy Father appointed as or Gustavo Osvaldo Béliz, secretary Greeks in Thessalonia, always of the Congregation for Bishops Apostolic Nuncio to Angola and to of the Secretaría de Asuntos Estra- writes to them about the fate of São Tomé and Príncipe Msgr Gio- Cardinal Juan José Omella Omella, tégicos, Argentina, as Ordinary the deceased so that “you may vanni Gaspari, nunciature counsel- Member of the Pontifical Academy not grieve as others do who have Archbishop of Barcelona, Spain, lor, elevating him to the titular see President of the Episcopal Confer- of Social Sciences (19 Sept.). no hope” (1 Thes 4:13). Christians of Alba marittima, with the dignity are people of hope, who are com- ence of Spain with Cardinal Carlos of archbishop (21 Sept). Osoro Sierra, Archbishop of Mad- pelled to imagine the future they believe in because Christ is the rid, Vice President; Bishop Luis NECROLO GY Lord of history, who broke the Javier Argüello García, titular Bish- APOSTOLIC AD M I N I S T R AT O R op of Ipagro, Auxiliary of Valladol- Bishop Anacleto Cordeiro Gançalves chains of time with his incarna- id, Secretary General de Oliveira of Viana do Castelo, tion, death and Resurrection.