Addressing members of the Latin Ibero-American and Caribbean Medical Confederation Pope Leo XIV highlights the healing power of personal contact and says artificial intelligence can assist but never replace the human presence of doctors.
By Linda Bordoni
Pope Leo XIV on Thursday welcomed members of the Latin Ibero-American and Caribbean Medical Confederation (CONFEMEL) to the Vatican, thanking them for their commitment to providing quality healthcare and encouraging them to safeguard the deeply human dimension of their vocation.
The Pope greeted the representatives of CONFEMEL, which brings together over two million physicians from across Latin America, the Iberian Peninsula, and the Caribbean. âThank you for this tireless work,â he said.
Recalling that the Church celebrates the Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels on 2 October, Pope Leo invited those present to reflect on the doctorâpatient relationship, which, he said, âis based on personal contact and health care, just as angels care for and protect us on life's journey.â
Quoting Saint Augustine, he referred to Christ as both physician and medicine: âIpse medicus, ipse medicamentum.â Jesus, he explained, is âa physician because He is word, and a medicine because He is word made flesh.â
He added that âdialogue, communication, and physical contact must always be present in the therapeutic relationship, beyond the instruments and tools used to treat illnesses.â
Reflecting on the Gospel passage in which Jesus heals the leper (Mark 1:40â42), Pope Leo highlighted that this is ânot a mechanical gesture,â but one in which âa personal relationship has been established between the leper and Jesus: the one who could not be touched finds health and salvation in a caress from Jesus.â
The Pope also recalled the example of Blessed José Gregorio Hernández, âone of the best-known doctors in Venezuela at the beginning of the 20th century,â noting how he combined medical competence with dedication to the most needy, earning him the title of âdoctor of the poor.â
Pope Leo then turned to the role of artificial intelligence in medicine, describing it as a great help in improving clinical care. However, he stressed that it âcan never take the place of the doctor, and quoting Pope Benedict XVI, he described them as 'reservoirs of love, bringing serenity and hope to those who suffer'.
âAn algorithm can never replace a gesture of closeness or a word of comfort,â he said.
Concluding his address, Pope Leo acknowledged the âgreat and stimulating challengesâ facing medical professionals and encouraged them to face these with hope. He invoked Christ Jesus, âour hopeâ, and the Blessed Virgin Mary, Health of the Sick, to accompany them âon this pilgrimage we all make toward the Father's house.â
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