The 15th Annual World Day of the Sick will be celebrated in Seoul from Feb. 9-11 to call worldwide attention to those suffering from incurable and terminal diseases, organizers said Thursday.The theme for this year's celebration is "The Spiritual and Pastoral Care of Patients with Incurable Illnesses."
Conferences, pastoral meetings and liturgical celebrations will be held at various venues including Myeongdong Cathedral and Jangchung Gymnasium in central Seoul. Various academic papers on this year's theme will be presented on the first and second day at Coste Hall in the cathedral compound.
The opening mass Friday morning will be jointly officiated by Nicholas Cardinal Cheong Jin-suk, Archbishop of Seoul; Javier Cardinal Lozano Barragan, who will act as Pope Benedict XVI's special envoy; and a number of Korean and foreign bishops at the Myeongdong Cathedral.
Expected attendees of the mass include Stephen Cardinal Kim Sou-hwan; John Chang Yik, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Korea; Emil Paul Tscherrig, the Pope's Apostolic Nuncio to Korea; Health and Welfare Minister Rhyu Si-min and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, according to organizers.
Following the mass, the opening ceremony will feature Cardinal Lozano Barragan as keynote speaker. The cardinal, who is also president of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care, will also visit the Sacred Family Welfare Hospital in northern Seoul on Feb. 10 to inspect the pastoral care system and soothe patients.
On the evening of the second day, an event for youth will be held at Jangchung Gymnasium, with musicians and dancers performing.The three-day celebration will close with a Solemn Mass at Jangchung Gymnasium on Feb. 11. Cardinal Barragan will deliver the message of the Pope and anoint 100 patients during the mass.
Designated by Pope John Paul II in 1992, the first World Day of the Sick was observed in Lourdes, France, in 1993 and has since been observed annually, with official celebrations taking place alternately on five different continents.
Feb. 11 is the day on which the Roman Catholic Church commemorates the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.
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