The initiative aims to offer economic support to health structures run by religious orders of the Catholic Church.

Neewsroom (09/10/2021 15:00, Gaudium Press) Faced with the crisis that has affected numerous health structures run by religious orders, which often find themselves unable to continue to maintain them, Pope Francis created the Catholic Health Foundation on Wednesday, October 6.

Purpose of the Catholic Health Foundation

The initiative aims to offer “economic support to the health structures of the Church, so that the charism of the founders can be preserved, their inclusion in the network of analogous and benevolent structures of the Church and with that, their exclusively beneficial purpose according to the dictates of Social Doctrine.”

Preserving Catholic health structures

The Foundation can carry out any type of operation permitted by the legislation of the country where the health structures, the object of its activities, operate, seeking to ensure the respect of the Social Doctrine and economic sustainability. Catholic health structures, which for various reasons find it difficult to move forward, will thus be able to avoid choices too conditioned by urgency.

Avoiding the idea of an elitist structure

Bishop Nunzio Galantino, President of APSA, will direct the Foundation. According to the prelate, the idea is “to avoid the risk that, even if we don’t want it, these structures contribute to transmitting an elitist idea of health care, reducing the spaces of care offered to all and for all.

Health service accessible to all

In July this year, after undergoing intestinal surgery, Pope Francis stressed the importance of a good health service, accessible to all. “One cannot lose this precious good. It must be preserved! And for this we must all commit ourselves, because it serves everyone and requires everyone’s contribution.” (EPC)