Blessing & Opening of the Xavier Building
St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney
+ Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney
3 Nov 2002
The Gospel passage read today from Matthew highlights two specifically Christian teachings, which still go beyond what we call "common sense", even our common sense which has been heavily infiltrated by 2000 years of Christian teaching.
The first element describes the last judgment, or part of it; the separation of the sheep from the goats, the self-centred from the unselfish. There is a widespread longing for eternal life in our society. Smacker Fitzgibbon's old song used to run "Everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die" and but a few resent the suggestion that each of us will be judged, at death even by a merciful and loving God, on our conduct in this life.
The second element is more congenial to Australian sensibilities, although it too goes beyond the common sense instinct to treat others the way they treat us. This second element has fed into the Aussie requirement of a "fair go" for everyone, even those who aren't making a go of it.
Christ's teaching is that whatever kindness is done to the lowest, poorest, and most undeserving is service done to Christ himself. This is the spirit of service which continues to inspire Catholic hospitals and which is at the heart of the Catholic service offered here at St Vincent's Public Hospital.
St Vincent's Hospital, led by the Sisters of Charity, has given marvelous service to the sick and dying for around 150 years. It is the flagship of the Catholic health service fleet and the Catholic Community is immensely proud and grateful for what has been achieved, and for the loving service, which continues here.
In Australia we are tempted to take our wonderful health services for granted - and the fact that they are available to the poorest. This hospital is also a fine example of co-operation between governments, church and the wider community, with services offered to all and sundry, and we are grateful to the government for this.
I commend the work being done here; I urge the leadership team of sisters and medical staff to labour mightily to keep the dimension of loving human service at the heart of your work. Official policy will help achieve this, but it is the regular example of senior staff in every area who will induct younger staff, newcomers into this way of acting, of seeing Christ not only in the sickest patients but in those who are most difficult and even seem ungrateful.
In an era of high technology, competitive bidding, pressures to reduce the length of patient stays, when even the language of the health care profession is being polluted by references to clients and industry, the Christian dimension of loving service remains more important than ever.
May God continue to bless this great institution, and all who work and serve here and all those who will be helped here.
