This morning, in the meeting room of the Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father received in audience the participants in the Conference “Today who is my neighbor?”.

The following is the Pope’s address to those present during the meeting:

Address of the Holy Father

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Peace be with you.

Your Eminence,
Dear Brothers in the Episcopate,
Distinguished Ministers,
Distinguished Representatives of International and European Institutions,
Dear Brothers and Sisters, good morning and welcome.

You have come to Rome from various European countries to take part in this moment of reflection entitled “Today who is my neighbor?”, organized by the Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe, the World Health Organization (European Region), and the Italian Episcopal Conference.

The second “WHO European Health Equity Status Report” will be presented today. This document draws attention to the situations faced by many people in Europe, especially the many men and women who experience poverty, loneliness and isolation in their daily lives.

In many countries, inequalities in the field of healthcare are growing, since fewer people are able to access the services available. Urgent attention must also be given to people’s mental health, particularly that of young people, because invisible psychological wounds are no less severe than those that are visible.

Health cannot be a luxury for the few. On the contrary, it is an essential condition for social peace. Universal health coverage is not merely a technical goal to be achieved; it is primarily a moral imperative for societies that wish to call themselves just. Healthcare must be accessible to the most vulnerable, then, not only because their dignity requires it but also to prevent injustice from becoming a cause of conflict.

The challenge at the heart of the theme you are reflecting on, which is taken from the Gospel of Luke (cf. 10:29), confronts all of us. We are not to justify ourselves, as the lawyer does, but to allow ourselves to be fully examined. Indeed, this question remains always relevant, and it has no single, unambiguous answer. Instead, it asks each of us to respond in a concrete and timely way. Therefore, we can ask ourselves: for me, at this moment in my life, who is my neighbor? In the various situations in which we live, the answers will vary. What does not change, however, is the call to reach out to others, especially to those who are suffering.

In the Book of Genesis we find a similar question: “The Lord said to Cain, ‘Where is Abel, your brother?’ He replied, ‘I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?’” (4:9). In the parable of the Good Samaritan, we find the answer: yes, you are your brother’s keeper, because you are called to safeguard his humanity.

Saint Augustine tells us that “God himself, our Lord, desired to be called our neighbor. For our Lord Jesus Christ points to himself under the figure of the man who brought aid to the one who was lying half dead on the road, wounded and abandoned by the robbers.” [1]

In his Encyclical Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis reflected on the role of the robbers who had wounded the traveler. He reminded us that “‘Robbers’ usually find secret allies in those who ‘pass by and look the other way’” (n. 75). Distance, distraction and desensitization to the sight of violence and the suffering of others lead us toward indifference. Yet all men and women, especially Christians, are called to fix their gaze on those who suffer: on the pain of the lonely, on those who for various reasons are marginalized and considered “outcasts.” For without them, we cannot build just societies founded on the human person.

It is illusory to think that it would be easier to attain a state of happiness by ignoring these brothers and sisters. Only together can we build communities of solidarity capable of caring for everyone, in which wellbeing and peace can flourish for the benefit of all. Caring for the humanity of others helps us to live our own lives to the full.

Dear brothers and sisters, the Church “has a public role over and above her charitable and educational activities,” yet she is always at the service of “the advancement of humanity and of universal fraternity.” [2]  The Churches in Europe and throughout the world, in cooperation with international organizations, can still play a decisive role today in combating inequalities in healthcare, particularly in support of the most vulnerable populations. Therefore, I renew my hope – indeed I urgently appeal – that “our Christian lifestyle will always reflect this fraternal, ‘Samaritan’ spirit – one that is welcoming, courageous, committed and supportive, rooted in our union with God and our faith in Jesus Christ.” [3]

Dear friends, I thank you for all that you are doing! I entrust you to the maternal intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and I cordially invoke God’s blessing upon you, your families and your service.

I thank you, and wish you well for your work.

_____________________________________________

[1] Saint Augustine, De doctrina christiana, I, 30, 33.

[2] Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate (29 June 2009), 11: AAS 101 (2009), 648.

[3] Message for the XXXIV World Day of the Sick (11 February 2026).