Vatican Museums: Beauty that Unites! 68

Beauty creates communion. It unites onlookers from a distance, uniting past, present and future. Pope Francis has recalled this on a number of occasions. The Church has always translated the universality of the Good News into the language of art. From this premise, this dramatic moment in history characterized by uncertainty and isolation, gives rise to this initiative which is a partnership between the Vatican Museum and Vatican News: Masterpieces from the Vatican Collection accompanied by comments from the words of the Popes.

St. Paul heals Publio’s father on Malta, fresco, Gallery of Maps © Musei Vaticani

O Divine Physician both the soul and of the body,
Jesus, our Redeemer, who during Your earthly life manifested
a predilection for the sick and restored their health
by the touch of Your all powerful hand,
we, called to the arduous mission of being physicians,
adore you and we recognize in You our
highest model and support.
Increase Your love in our hearts, so that,
seeing You in the sick, particularly in the most forsaken,
we may respond to their complete confidence in us
with tireless solicitude.
Grant that we ourselves, through a Christian conduct of life
and the upright exercise of our profession,
may merit to one day hear from Your lips that beatific phrase
promised to all who visit You in their sick brothers and sisters:
“Come, O blessed of my Father, take possession of the kingdom prepared for you.”

(Pope Pius XII, 10 May 1957, Prayer for Physicians)

Under the direction of Paolo Ondarza
#BeautyThatUnites
Instagram: @vaticanmuseums @VaticanNews
Facebook: @vaticannews

Thank you for reading our article. You can keep up-to-date by subscribing to our daily newsletter. Just click here