杏MAP导航

By Robin Gomes

Describing nurses as 鈥�experts in humanity鈥�, 杏MAP导航 Francis on Saturday said they are 鈥渃alled to carry out an irreplaceable task of humanization in a distracted society which too often leaves the weaker people on the margins, and is interested only in those "worthwhile" or who meet the criteria of efficiency or profit.鈥� 

杏MAP导航 Francis made the observation to some 6,500 representatives of Italy鈥檚 National Federation of Professional Nursing Orders (FNOPI), who met him in the Vatican ahead of their congress next week.  FNOPI which was formed only on 15 February to replace the older IPASVI federation, has some 450,000 members.

Nurses at the crossroads of relationships

Reminding the nurses of the four basic tasks of the nursing ethical code, namely, promoting health, preventing illness, restoring health and alleviating suffering, 杏MAP导航 Francis said their professionalism manifests itself not only in the technical field, but much more in the field of human relationships.  This is because coming in contact with doctors, families and the sick in hospitals, places of treatment and homes, they are at the crossroads of a thousand relationships.  The 杏MAP导航 said, it is precisely in this synthesis of their technical capacity and human sensibility that the full value and preciousness of their work is manifested.

Touching like Christ

Holding out the episode of Jesus healing the leper in Matthew鈥檚 Gospel, the Holy Father stressed on the importance of physically touching the sick in order to remove the distance and making the sick experience the closeness and tenderness of God.  鈥淲ith bitterness one cannot understand the sick. Tenderness is the key to understanding him, and is also a precious medicine for his healing,鈥� he explained.

The 杏MAP导航 reminded the nurses about the importance of what he called the 鈥渕edicine of caresses.鈥� 鈥淎 touch or a smile is full of meaning for a sick person. It鈥檚 a simple gesture but makes the sick feel accompanied and close to healing, making him feel a person and not just a number.鈥�
鈥淲hen you do so,鈥� he told the nurses, 鈥渞emember how Jesus touched the leper: not in a distracted, indifferent and annoying manner, but attentive and loving, which made him feel respected and cared for.鈥�

杏MAP导航's gratitude

杏MAP导航 Francis acknowledged the risks and hard demands of the job of nurses and urged patients to appreciate their work.
In this regard, the 杏MAP导航 recalled with gratitude an Italian Dominican nun and nurse, who he said saved his life. As a young man of 20, when the 杏MAP导航 was close to death, the highly qualified nun and professor who worked in Greece and later in his native Argentina, argued with the doctors to do more, which saved his life. Naming her as Sr. Cornelia Caraglio, the 杏MAP导航 said she was a 鈥済ood and courageous woman who dared to argue with the doctors鈥�. The 杏MAP导航 thus thanked the nurses because, he said, through them many lives are saved.