Pope Francis addressed attendees at the three-day Unite To Cure Conference, a biennial event that brings worldwide health professionals to the Vatican to discuss the future of medicine.
As the encounter is organized by the Pontifical Council for Culture, there were guests representing other aspects of society, some of them celebrities. Pop star Katy Perry and her boyfriend, actor Orlando Bloom, listened intently to the Holy Father's words.
In line with his Laudato si' encyclical, the pope called for increased care for the environment to reduce health risks for future generations.
POPE FRANCIS
“This is all the more important when we think of children and of young people, who are increasingly at risk because of illnesses linked to the radical changes of modern culture. We need but reflect on the impact on health caused by smoking, alcohol consumption, and toxins released in the air, in the water and in the soil.”
Pope Francis also urged policymakers to consider the health needs of another vulnerable group of people, the marginalized.
POPE FRANCIS
“There is also a need to take into consideration every member of our human family, especially those experiencing social and cultural hardships that endanger both their health and their access to adequate care.”
The Unite To Cure Conference began in 2010 and drew some 500 participants this year. The event's theme is “Prevent, Repair, Cure and Prepare for the Future.”
