Stopping the Stigma: Pope May Meet with Modern-Day Lepers

A representative of Pope Francis, who pointed out that the pontiff is known for his "surprises," said it's possible the pope might meet with people who have been cured of leprosy.  

Many people in industrialized countries only know of leprosy from its place in the Bible, and assume it is a disease from the distant past.  That's not true. 

The disease, which causes nerve damage and muscle weakness and can lead to deformities and blindness, is currently being diagnosed in 100 countries. 

About 200,000 people are diagnosed with leprosy each year.  Seventy percent of those cases come from India, Brazil and Indonesia. Currently, 3 million people are living with disabilities they sustained from the disease. 

Pope Francis will be celebrating a mass Sunday, June 12 for the Jubilee of Sick and Disabled Persons.  It will mark the conclusion of a conference being held at the Vatican about the plight of modern-day lepers.  The conference includes leaders from various religions from around the world, including Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Judaism.   

Among other things, the religious leaders will hear personal testimonies from people who have suffered the stigma associated with leprosy.

"It is a great power to have the leaders from all these major religions get together and talk about leprosy because the leaders from the different religions have the influential power to convince their believers," Yohei Sasakawa, president of the philanthropic Nippon Foiundation, told EWTN News. 

Sasakawa said the religious leaders are being asked to inform their followers that there is free medicine available that cures leprosy, and that once people are cured, "it is wrong to discriminate" against them. The general public "should treat these leprosy-affected people as equally as they treat people with disabilities who could be living around them," he added.

Current and even former lepers face horrible discrimination.  Just having been a leprosy patient can mean lifelong rejection from society.  Some 30 former lepers told the conference attendees that despite being cured of leprosy, they are unwelcome to rejoin even their own families in some cases. 

Until recently, in some places former lepers were not allowed to ride public transportation or service public office.  It was even grounds for divorce in some areas.

The goal of the conference is to motivate the public at large to show greater sympathy and empathy for people suffering from leprosy or who have had it in the past.  

Although officially, Pope Francis is only scheduled to deliver the mass at the conclusion of the leprosy conference, he has been widely known to mingle with the downtrodden.  

A papal spokesperson, speaking about the conference, said, "There could also be other surprises from Pope Francis.  For now, we're waiting.  We still don't know what surprise" might come.