Cardinal Parolin brings Christmas message of hope to Children's Hospital

By Vatican News

Cardinal Pietro Parolin on Friday brought the Pope’s closeness and Best Wishes to the staff and patients of the Bambino Gesù Hospital reminding them that "This year at Christmas, the Holy Door will be opened, marking the beginning of the Jubilee dedicated to the theme of hope.”

“May it be a passage of hope for everyone. We all need it," he said.

Greetings to doctors, nurses, patients, and families

The Vatican Secretary of State was welcomed by Hospital President, Tiziano Onesti. He then paused in the chapel, where a gathering of doctors, nurses, patients, and families awaited him, along with the hospital’s religious staff, for a moment of prayer. Following tradition, he extended his Christmas greetings to the entire Bambino Gesù community.

Afterwards, accompanied by Onesti, Duchess Salviati, and Medical Director Massimiliano Raponi, the cardinal visited the Nephrology and Rheumatology wards, where he stopped to greet patients and their families.

Bambino Gesù: A place of hope

Engaging with the little patients, the Secretary of State conveyed "Pope Francis' greetings" and reminded them of the imminent opening of the Jubilee on December 24. His wish, he said, was that the Holy Year would be a time of hope in a place like Bambino Gesù, which is already "a place of hope." It is a place of hope "to feel better and return to normal life."

"Here, people are cared for," the cardinal emphasized. "So many of our hopes are often disappointed. But Jesus does not disappoint. We must trust in the Lord's word and in what He has promised us. May hope, therefore, be carried by each of you, especially in times of difficulty. May it dwell within you and grow ever stronger. Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones."