Beato Paolo VI

On the cover: the Blessed Paul VI together with, on his left, the Superior General Fr. Carlo Mansfeld, and other Camillian religious

On 1 July 1964, on the occasion of the three hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the death of St. Camillus, the Blessed Paul VI sent to the Superior General of the Order Fr. Carlo Mansfeld MI his letter ‘Caritatem insigne’. In it the Holy Father also addressed all religious so that from that event could be drawn ‘an impetus to increase and elevate ever more the ardour of charity’.

The Pope observed that amongst the saints who had made the life of the Church beautiful a privileged place was held by Camillus with his devotion to the sick. In him ‘the cause of such a great virtue is charity, which he entrusted to his followers’ so that ‘they would provide service to all sick people’ and so that ‘they would see the poor as being Christ himself, would comfort them, using all the diligence and meekness that is required, and would meet all their needs with great love and kindness’. And it was for this reason, Pope Montini continued, that ‘St. Camillus always cared for the poor and the sick with paternal and sweet meekness, often shedding tears in this capacity, aware that he was serving Christ in person’.

Lastly the Blessed Paul VI ended his letter by expressing moved gratitude to all sick people: ‘Lastly I embrace with supreme charity the sick who, in bearing every kind of distress, follow from

Lo storico incontro tra Papa Paolo VI e il Patriarca Atenagora

closer to hand Christ as he bears his cross; we make ourselves participants in their troubled concerns, we invoke with warm prayers celestial consolations, and with a moved spirit we thank them because, in patiently bearing their troubles, they enrich and make shine forth the Holy Church’.

Click here to download the letter of the Blessed Paul VII

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