"Let the certainty that just God may be our guide encourage all of us, gathering this morning in this house, where the people are fighting against illness, upheld by solidarity". Yesterday morning, those words were spoken by Benedict XVI on the occasion of the homily for celebrating the Eucharist, during his visit to the Roman hospital "San Giovanni Battista" (Sovereign Military Order of Malta). With reference to his new encyclical, "Spe Salvi", the Pope declared his intention "to take advantage of my visit to your hospital to ideally deliver the encyclical to the Christian community in Rome and, in particular, to those who, like you, are in direct touch with pain and illness". After greeting the present authorities, including Card. Camillo Ruini, Card. Pio Laghi and Friar Andrew Bertie, Grand Master of the Order of Malta, the Holy Father addressed the "dear ill" and their relatives: "The Pope he said is spiritually close to you and assures you his daily prayer; he invites you to find support and solace in Jesus, never losing trust. The liturgy of the Advent (started yesterday editor’s note) will repeat us not to get tired to invoke Him in the next weeks; it will foster us to go and meet Him, knowing that He himself is constantly visiting us". (To be continued)
