In an emotional ceremony held in Oviedo, Her Majesty the Queen of Spain presided over the presentation of the 2024 Honours of the Spanish Red Cross, commemorating the 160th anniversary of this humanitarian organization.

During the event, Queen Letizia expressed her deep gratitude to the Red Cross and its corps of volunteers, emphasizing that “whatever happens, we will always find the extended hand of the Red Cross.” She highlighted the organization’s historical commitment “with the sole objective of alleviating human suffering, in all its forms,” and congratulated the award winners, emphasizing that “your work is useful and has social relevance.”

The San Camilo Center (Center for Humanization of Health and Care) has received the Gold Medal of the Red Cross for its human and holistic approach in assisting vulnerable people and for its mission to provide dignified and just care. Brother José Carlos Bermejo, Provincial Superior of the Camillian Religious in Spain and general director of the San Camilo Center, thanked for the recognition and emphasized that “we are experiencing a global moment in favour of the humanization of health care worldwide.” Brother Bermejo expressed the need to treat people not only as patients with pathology but with “the heart in the hands.”

In his speech, Brother Bermejo also stated that “we are dissatisfied because it seems to us that we are in danger of reducing people to pathologies, while our deep desire is to make healthcare something that truly gives full dignity to the human being.” This recognition, celebrated during World Red Cross Day, underscores the shared values ​​between the San Camilo Center and the Red Cross regarding comprehensive and humanitarian care.

Queen Letizia, familiar with the work of the San Camilo Center, emphasized the importance of caring for the persons until the natural conclusion of their existence. In her words, expressed privately, she praised the empathy and competence of the Camillians in the world of suffering, emphasizing that we “care until the end, care with the heart, care by ensuring the dignity of all people.”