For more than forty years the Italian Federation of Pediatricians has supported over 5,500 family pediatricians, offering them expertise from a professional and moral point of view, in the sphere of welfare and social security, as well as in the legal and economic fields. In prepared remarks to the members of the Federation, His Holiness Pope Francis praised their work with babies, children and adolescents, and noted their commitment in the area of training and education.
As reported by Vatican news, “In our time, where many comforts and technological and social developments are paid for with an increasingly invasive impact on the natural dynamics of the human body”, said the Pontiff, “it is urgent to implement a serious program of education promoting health and lifestyles respecting the body, so that progress is not at the expense of the individual.” During his address, His Holiness Pope Francis commented that those who have access to treatment are usually the ones who can afford it. Therefore, he encouraged those gathered to work to ensure that the weakest in society were taken care of in terms of healthcare and prevention. He also encouraged the Federation members to listen their young patients and provide a sense of security to parents.
His Holiness Pope Francis concluded, “the work you do is a real mission, involving both the mind and the heart…” He added, “You bear Christian witness, because you seek to practice the values of the Gospel and your sense of belonging to the Church; but also because of the breadth of your gaze, your ability to imagine the right social context and health care system for the future, and your desire to serve, with humility and competence, every person entrusted to you.”
