Pope Francis cautions people against falling back into 'illusion of individualism'

Amid the coronavirus contagion, Pope Francis extended his gratitude to the health workers in Italy’s Lombardy region on June 21 and praised them for not abandoning the patients during the “troubled months”. He also warned the world against making ‘individualism’ the main principle of the society which the COVID-19 pandemic has proved to be “illusionary”. According to Francis, the coronavirus outbreak has made people realise that focussing on oneself is just a mirage and ‘we need others’, but cautioned to be “careful” so that we ‘don’t fall back into the ‘illusion’.

Pope Francis said, “More than ever before, the pretension to focus everything on ourselves, to make individualism the guiding principle of society, has proved illusory.”

“Let us be careful,” the Pope warned, “because, as soon as the emergency has passed, it is easy to fall back into this illusion. It is easy to quickly forget that we need others, someone to take care of us, to give us courage,” he added. 

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‘Visible sign of humanity’

Pope Francis described the medical professionals who battled the fight against COVID-19 pandemic on the frontlines and called the “a visible sign of humanity” which is heartwarming. He also said that their service during the global health crisis was “heroic”. His address came just as the global infections have surpassed 8.9 million with over 468,300 deaths. Francis also said that the professionalism of the health care workers was ‘one of the pillars’ of the country and described them as ‘angels’. 

“More than ever we feel gratitude for the doctors, nurses and all health care workers, on the front line as they carried out an arduous and sometimes heroic service,” he said, describing them as “a visible sign of humanity that warms the heart.”

“Many of them fell ill and some, unfortunately, died in the exercise of their profession. We remember them in prayer with much gratitude,” the Pope said.

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