The 29th World Day of the Sick will be celebrated on Thursday, 11 February 2021, Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lourdes. The theme of this year’s message is “You have but one teacher and you are all brothers" (Mt 23:8), which encourages a trust-based relationship with the sick and the nurturing of integral human healing. Please see the below message from Pope Francis, marking the observation of the day:

The Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development has provided a resource document stemming from the message with suggestions and possible reflections:

We invite you to read and reflect upon this message, and the idea that “…the commandment of love that Jesus left to his disciples is also kept in our relationship with the sick. A society is all the more human to the degree that it cares effectively for its most frail and suffering members, in a spirit of fraternal love. Let us strive to achieve this goal, so that no one will feel alone, excluded or abandoned.”⁠

⁠