Pope Francis, to children with cancer: Jesus is a friend and shares your pain

During an emotional meeting at the Vatican, Pope Francis comforted children suffering from cancer, reminding them that Jesus is with them and that he is a friend with whom they can share their joys and suffering.

This Friday, the Holy Father received a group of children from the Pediatric Oncology Clinic in Wrocław (Poland), who have made a pilgrimage to Rome with their parents, doctors and nurses from the center within the framework of the Jubilee of Hope.

At the beginning of his speech, delivered from the Apostolic Palace, the Pontiff stressed that the Jubilee Year “is a year in which God wants to grant us graces.”

In a gesture of closeness, Pope Francis assured that his heart is “full of joy,” since this meeting is for him an opportunity to “give us hope and love to each other.”

“They are signs of hope for me. And why? Because I am sure that Jesus is present in you. And where He is, there is hope that does not disappoint! “Jesus took upon himself our sufferings, out of love, and then we too, through his love, can unite with Him when we suffer,” he noted.

He assured that this is “a test of friendship” since, when friendship is true, “the joy of the other is also my joy, and the pain of the other is also my pain.” Therefore, he reminded them that Jesus is their friend and that they can share their joys and pains with Him.

He also highlighted that another proof of Jesus’ friendship is “the love and constant presence of his parents, it is the kind and tender smile of the doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, who care for them and work to improve their health, so that they do not lose their dreams or their hopes.”

Pope Francis assured them that he also considers them his friends and asked them to help him serve the Church, offering their prayers and sufferings for the Pope’s intentions.

Later, he invited them to pray for those sick children who do not have the possibility of receiving medical attention: “They are sick or injured and there is no medicine, there are no hospitals, there are no doctors or nurses,” lamented Pope Francis.

Finally, the Holy Father highlighted their courage in the face of the disease and stated that “they are witnesses of hope” for adults and their peers.

“I entrust you to the Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. “I bless you all and carry you in my prayer,” concluded the Holy Father.