Pope Francis is sharing his past experience with his own health crisis and encouraging people to allow themselves to be “touched by others’ pain.”
In his op-ed published by The New York Times titled, “A Crisis Reveals What Is in Our Hearts,” Francis discussed how shared pain can make for a better world amid the pandemic.
“To come out of this crisis better, we have to recover the knowledge that as a people we have a shared destination. The pandemic has reminded us that no one is saved alone,” Francis wrote.
He added, “What ties us to one another is what we commonly call solidarity. Solidarity is more than acts of generosity, important as they are; it is the call to embrace the reality that we are bound by bonds of reciprocity. On this solid foundation we can build a better, different, human future.”
Francis detailed his own health crisis when he was 21 years old after part of his lung was removed.
“I had my first experience of limit, of pain and loneliness. It changed the way I saw life. For months, I didn’t know who I was or whether I would live or die,” he said.
Francis continued, “I have some sense of how people with Covid-19 feel as they struggle to breathe on a ventilator.”
He recalled two nurses who saved his life.
Francis explained Sister Cornelia Caraglio’s regular contact with sick people gave her the knowledge to care for them.
He expressed his appreciation for another nurse, Micaela, for secretly prescribing him “extra doses of painkillers outside my due times.”
“They fought for me to the end, until my eventual recovery. They taught me what it is to use science but also to know when to go beyond it to meet particular needs,” Francis wrote.
He recognized nurses, doctors, caregivers, priests, and religious and ordinary people for serving others.
Francis acknowledged some countries have made the effort to impose restrictions to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
He criticized those who chose to ignore the restrictions.
“Looking to the common good is much more than the sum of what is good for individuals. It means having a regard for all citizens and seeking to respond effectively to the needs of the least fortunate,” Francis said.