In end of life debate we must remember “how crucial palliative and hospice care is,” says bishop
Bishop Paul Mason, Lead Bishop for Health and Social Care, issued a reflection on Wednesday (11th) saying that we must remember how crucial palliative and hospice care is, particularly in light of recent debates about the end of life.
Building on Pope Francis’ message for the 33rd World Day of the Sick, Bishop Paul also said that times of illness and sickness can also lead to “unexpected intimacy with God as we learn to rely fully on Him.”
Regarding the current significant public debate about care at the end of life, Bishop Paul emphasised that it was particularly important t0 remember the importance of hospice care and palliative care.
“Genuine compassion for those approaching the end of their lives means walking with them, sharing in their suffering, and together living out the hopeful possibility of finding love and strength in even the most difficult times,” he said.
“Whilst recognising the gravity of pain and suffering, our experience of suffering can become a gift by which we receive a deeper understanding and experience of God’s faithful love for us in all circumstances. In the middle of our pain and distress, our struggles can create an opportunity for us to carry our cross alongside Christ and experience the tender care of a loving God.”
His full message is below …
Bishop Paul Mason’s reflection on 33rd World Day of the Sick (11 February 2025)
‘Hope does not disappoint (Romans 5:5) but strengthens us in times of trial’
On this Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, we mark the 33rd World Day of the Sick and call to mind all those who experience physical and mental suffering in our communities and those who care for them. In this Year of Jubilee, in which we are invited to be “pilgrims of hope”, the Holy Father Pope Francis recognises three ways in which God remains close to those who are suffering.
A time of suffering can be time of close encounter with God as “the solid rock to which we can hold fast amid the tempests of life”. We can see from Scripture that Christ and his disciples spent much time with those who were sick in different ways. For us, too, it is often in those times of illness that we can find a particular and unexpected intimacy with God as we learn to rely fully on Him.
Secondly, whilst recognising the gravity of pain and suffering, our experience of suffering can become a gift by which we receive a deeper understanding and experience of God’s faithful love for us in all circumstances. In the middle of our pain and distress, our struggles can create an opportunity for us to carry our cross alongside Christ and experience the tender care of a loving God. As Pope Francis writes, “we can share with him our anxieties, concerns and disappointments, and listen to his word, which enlightens us and warms our hearts.”
Also, times of sickness can create space for the sharing of love and care that can deepen our relationships with others. Pope Francis has emphasised that “we are ‘angels’ of hope and messengers of God for one another, all of us together: whether patients, physicians, nurses, family members, friends, priests, men and women religious”. By loving others in their time of need, we also grow in hope of the possibility of experiencing love and finding strength even during dreadful suffering.
As we celebrate this 33rd World Day of the Sick at a time of significant public debate about care at the end of life, we particularly remember the importance of hospice care and palliative care. Genuine compassion for those approaching the end of their lives means walking with them, sharing in their suffering, and together living out the hopeful possibility of finding love and strength in even the most difficult times.
The Right Reverend Paul Mason, Catholic Bishop of the Forces
Lead Bishop for Health and Social Care
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales
