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Message of the Holy Father Francis for
International Nurses’ Day, 12.05.2020
Today is International Nurses Day, part of the
International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife,
designated by the World Health Organization, on
the bicentenary of the birth of Florence
Nightingale, founder of modern nursing.
The following is the Holy Father’s Message for
International Nurses Day, proposed by the
Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human
Development:
Message of the Holy Father
Dear brothers and sisters,
Today we celebrate International Nurses Day, in
the context of the International Year of Nurses
and Midwives officially declared by the World
Health Organisation.
At this same time, we observe the
bicentennial of the birth of Florence
Nightingale, the pioneer of modern nursing.
At this critical moment, marked by the global
health emergency caused by the Covid-19
pandemic, we have rediscovered the fundamental
importance of the role being played by nurses
and midwives.
Every day we witness the testimony of
courage and sacrifice of healthcare workers, and
nurses in particular, who, with professionalism,
self-sacrifice, and a sense of responsibility
and love for neighbour, assist people affected
by the virus, even to the point of putting their
own health at risk.
Sadly, this can be seen in the high
number of healthcare workers who have died as a
result of their faithful service.
I pray for them – the Lord knows each of
them by name – and for all the victims of this
epidemic.
May the Risen Lord grant to each of them
the light of heaven and to their families the
consolation of faith.
Nurses have historically played a central role
in health care.
Every day, in their contact with the
sick, they experience the trauma caused by
suffering in people’s lives.
They are men and women who have chosen to
say “yes” to a very special vocation: that of
being good Samaritans who are concerned for the
life and suffering of others.
They are guardians and preservers of
life, who, even as they administer necessary
treatments, offer courage, hope and trust.[1]
Dear nurses, moral responsibility is the
hallmark of your professional service, which
cannot be reduced to scientific-technical
knowledge alone, but must be constantly inspired
by your human and humanizing relationship with
the sick.
“Taking care of women and men, of
children and elderly, in every phase of their
life, from birth to death, you are tasked with
continuous listening, aimed at understanding
what the needs of that patient are, in the phase
that he or she is experiencing.
Before the uniqueness of each situation,
indeed, it is never enough to follow a protocol,
but a constant – and tiresome! – effort of
discernment and attention to the individual
person is required”.[2]
You – and here I think too of midwives – are
close to people at crucial moments in their
existence – birth and death, disease and healing
– helping them deal with traumatic situations.
Sometimes you find yourself at their side
as they are dying, giving comfort and relief in
their last moments.
Because of your dedication, you are among
the “saints next door”.
You are an image of the Church as a
“field hospital” that continues to carry out the
mission of Jesus Christ, who drew near to and
healed people with all kinds of sickness and who
stooped down to wash the feet of his disciples.
Thank you for your service to humanity!
In many countries, the pandemic has also brought
to light a number of deficiencies in the
provision of health care.
For this reason, I would ask leaders of
nations throughout the world to invest in health
care as the primary common good, by
strengthening its systems and employing greater
numbers of nurses, so as to ensure adequate care
to everyone, with respect for the dignity of
each person.
It is important to recognize in an
effective way the essential role your profession
plays in patient care, local emergency activity,
disease prevention, health promotion, and
assistance in family, community and school
settings.
Nurses, as well as midwives, deservedly have the
right to be better and more fully valued and
involved in processes concerning the health of
individuals and communities.
It has been shown that investing in them
improves overall care and health.
Their professionalism should thus be
enhanced by providing suitable scientific,
human, psychological and spiritual tools for
their training, by improving their working
conditions and by guaranteeing their rights, so
that they can carry out their service in full
dignity.
In this regard, associations of healthcare
workers play an important role.
In addition to offering comprehensive
training, they support their individual members,
making them feel part of a larger body, never
dismayed and alone as they face the ethical,
economic and human challenges that their
profession entails.
I would like to say a special word to midwives
who assist women in their pregnancies and help
them give birth to their children.
Your work is among the most noble of
professions, for it is directly dedicated to the
service of life and of motherhood.
In the Bible, the names of two heroic
midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, are immortalized in
the Book of Exodus (cf. 1:15-21).
Today, too, the heavenly Father looks to
you with gratitude.
Dear nurses, dear midwives, may this annual
celebration highlight the dignity of your work
for the benefit of the health of society as a
whole.
With the assurance of my prayers for you,
your families and those for whom you care, I
cordially impart to all of you my Apostolic
Blessing.
Rome, from Saint John Lateran, 12 May 2020
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1. Cf. The New Charter for Health Care Workers,
Nos. 1-8.
2. Address to Members of the Italian Federation
of the Boards of Nursing Professions, 3 March
2018.
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