Visit to the National Pediatric Hospital of Saint Joseph of Costa Rica (3 March 1983)

On Thursday, 3 March 1983, the Holy Father visited the National Pediatric Hospital of Saint Joseph of Costa Rica, in San José where he spoke to the handicapped children. 

Dear brothers and children

During my visit to Costa Rica I did not want to miss meeting you, dear sick boys and girls, admitted to this Hospital. I greet you with a loving hug, in which I also include all the children suffering in their homes or in other hospital centers in this or other countries that I visit these days.

Illness and pain have taken over your fragile bodies, and do not allow you to have the life that would correspond to your age, happily surrounded by your parents and friends. That's why the Pope, his friend, who thinks and prays for you, wanted to come and visit you. So that you receive every day the affection and attention you need, through your parents and family, doctors and all the auxiliary staff, whom I also salute and encourage to continue serving you with an authentic spirit of dedication to those who suffer. . I ask them to bear in mind in their work the words of Jesus: "whenever you did this to one of the least of these My brothers, you did it to Me" ( Mt 25, 40).

He will help you to give a new meaning to your profession, which will become a true human and Christian "mission" for the elevation of man, alleviating and healing his pains, through the best advances in science and technology.

From this Hospital I send my greetings and affection to all adult patients who, in their homes or in other health centers, suffer the weight of the disease. Know, my dear ones, that through your sufferings, accepted in a spirit of faith, you are united to those of Christ, who suffered and gave his life for all men.

Also present here are representatives of the Center for the disabled, recently promoted by the World Health Organization. I encourage all of you to make this Center a model of assistance for people who have physical or mental limitations, in order to properly help them towards an adequate social reintegration to your possibilities.

With these heartfelt desires and hopes, I impart my Apostolic Blessing to you, sick boys and girls, to the adult patients, to your families, to the doctors and auxiliary staff and to everyone present.

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