Pope appoints new director of Vatican healthcare services

By Vatican News

The Holy Father on Saturday appointed Dr Giovanni Battista Doglietto as the new Director of the Vatican healthcare services.

Dr Doglietto takes over the role from Dr Stefano Loreti.

What is the FAS?

The Health Care Fund of the Holy See, or Fondo Assistenza Sanitaria (FAS), provides health services to employees of the Holy See, the Roman Curia, and the Governorate of the Vatican City State.

The president of the FAS, Msgr. Luigi Mistò, described the organization’s mission, in an interview with Vatican News’ Alessandro De Carolis.

“I prefer to recall an image used by Pope Francis affirming that sickness is an ‘existential periphery’ where everyone passes sooner or later, directly or through someone dear to them,” he said. “FAS, while paying attention to economic sustainability, must absolutely keep the person who is ill at the center of our work, making him or her feel all the care and tenderness they require.”

Solidarity among Vatican employees

Msgr. Mistò described the Holy See and Vatican City State as a “work community” that must give credible witness to the Social Doctrine of the Church.

He said the FAS is one example of this, since it is a concrete expression of solidarity.

FAS is funded by each Vatican employee who pays a portion of their income into the fund.

“There are people who never get sick but pay anyway,” said Msgr. Mistò. “Others, who are less fortunate, get sick and, in some cases, their medical bills are much higher. In that case the contributions of those who get sick less often are used. This is an example of solidarity.”