Renowned Holy See Hospital in Rome “Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital” has marked its 40^th anniversary. This anniversary reflects continued embodiment of glory and respect for human life, while engulfed with humanity. It is the hospital that exudes mercy and nobility in handling affairs of ill children worldwide by overwhelming them with exorbitant care that reflects the noble message of Christianity.

This hospital is referred to as “The Hospital of Difficult Cases,” because to date it has saved thousands of children's lives.  It has demonstrated excellence with the inauguration of its new Gene Therapy Laboratory, which works directly on the DNA of young patients. With the inauguration anniversary attended by Holy See Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin,  he said: “There are children and families who have found new hope; there are researchers and doctors who have discovered new solutions; there are teams that have transformed scientific results into concrete treatment paths. It’s important that the Bambino Gesù be a hospital that always says ‘yes’ to research, that doesn’t stop in the face of difficulties or the questions raised by rare diseases, but faces them with courage and tenacity, always seeking an answer.”

He added: “A place that never refuses care. Always finds a way to welcome those who knock on its door — even from distant corners of the world, especially those marked by poverty or conflict; a place that doesn’t measure its success only by clinical or scientific results, but by its ability to stay close to patients, to listen to them, and to accompany them.”

Press reports indicate that Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital has discovered more than 100 new genes linked to various diseases, as well as performed over the past 15 years more than 1,200 organ transplants and more than 2,500 bone marrow transplants — the vast majority over the past 15 years.

On 16 March 2024, the late Pope Francis visited Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital. During the visit, he said, “I confess that when I come to “Bambino Gesù” I feel two opposing sentiments: I feel sorrow for the suffering of the sick children and their parents, but at the same time I feel great hope, seeing everything that is done there to treat them. Thank you! Thank you for all of this. Keep going forward in this blessed work. I bless you from my heart, and I pray for you. And you too, please, pray for me. Thank you.”

On the other hand, this hospital has all the time reacted during urgent circumstances by extending a helping hand in the bleak moments of humanity. It is reported that the  hospital has been actively treating children from Gaza, particularly those with serious injuries or complex illnesses, since the beginning of the conflict in Gaza in October 2023. It treated children with a variety of urgent medical conditions including trauma, amputations, burns, malnutrition, cancers, and neurological disorders. The hospital not only provided medical care but also serves as a secure environment for the children and their accompanying family members, striving to offer a sense of peace amid a dramatic context. 

Apart from providing medical care, this hospital offers spiritual guidance for parents who are grieving with a message to reduce the suffering of patients, while instilling a message of divine promises of well-being and care in addition to sending a message that its patients can lead their lives as healthy children with effervescent roles in life.

With the Vatican’s pediatric hospital branded as one of the best children’s hospitals in the world, it is hoped that this hospital will continue to receive needed support so as to continue its noble message of serving as a panacea to ill children worldwide who lack medical care due to financial difficulties or to wars.

It is important to offer a prayer for the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital to include blessing the sick children and their families, the hospital staff, and the medical community, saying: "May the love of Lord Jesus be communicated to the little ones, bringing them comfort and healing in their suffering. May this hospital continue to be a sign of mercy and love for those who suffer, and may the spirit of charity and compassion always guide this institution." Amen.