“Caring for the humanity of others helps us to live our own lives to the full,” Pope Leo XIV told European religious and political leaders on March 18, 2026. Expressing concern over rising health inequalities in Europe, he stated that universal health coverage is a “moral imperative for societies that wish to call themselves just.”
Immediately before the general audience, the Pope received participants in the conference “Who Is My Neighbor Today?,” co-organized by the Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE), the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI), and the World Health Organization (WHO). This meeting coincided with the release in the afternoon of a “European Health Equity Status Report,” a document which, for the Pope, “draws attention to the situations faced by many people in Europe, especially the men and women who experience poverty, loneliness, and isolation in their daily lives.”
“In many countries, inequalities in the field of healthcare are growing,” Pope Leo XIV warned, noting that “fewer people are able to access the services available.” He also sounded the alarm regarding mental health, particularly among young people, noting that “invisible psychological wounds are no less severe than those that are visible.”
“Health cannot be a luxury for the few. On the contrary, it is an essential condition for social peace,” insisted the head of the Catholic Church.
Universal health coverage is not merely a technical goal to be achieved; it is primarily a moral imperative for societies that wish to call themselves just. Healthcare must be accessible to the most vulnerable, then, not only because their dignity requires it but also to prevent injustice from becoming a cause of conflict.
Empathy, not indifference
The Pope warned against the “indifference” that results from “distance, distraction and desensitization to the sight of violence and the suffering of others.” He reminded the audience that without taking into account those who are marginalized, it’s not possible to “build just societies founded on the human person,” deeming it “illusory to think that it would be easier to attain a state of happiness by ignoring these brothers and sisters.”
“Only together can we build communities of solidarity capable of caring for everyone,” Leo XIV said. “Caring for the humanity of others helps us live our own lives to the full,” he explained, overturning the principle that charity begins at home.
The Pope affirmed that the Church, in this area, has a role to play in placing itself “at the service of ‘the advancement of humanity and of universal fraternity” and in fighting “inequalities in healthcare, particularly in support of the most vulnerable populations.”
He invited Christians to embrace a “Christian lifestyle” that “will always reflect this fraternal, ‘Samaritan’ spirit – one that is welcoming, courageous, committed and supportive, rooted in our union with God and our faith in Jesus Christ.”
