Leprosy and the Lazaretto

                                                                   The Rich Man and Lazarus 

  “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,  who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. 

 The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.  In Hades, where he was being tormented, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in these flames.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus in like manner evil things, but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’

Luke 16: 19-26 NRSVue 

Yesterday I wrote about reading The Covenant of Water, Abraham Verghese's story of a family in India across three generations, from British colony to independence and through two world wars. I mentioned that leprosy and care for those with the affliction are recurring themes and essential to the sage. 

When I think of leprosy the story of Jesus and the ten lepers comes to mind. Through the centuries those with leprosy have been social outcasts, in part because of the fear of contagion, which is actually low, and because of disfigurement for the sufferers. Hansen's disease or leprosy affects nerve endings and removes the "gift of pain" which would warn patients of potential damage to digits and limbs. 

                                                      

                                                            Ten Lepers Healed -- Brian Kershisnik 

In The Covenant of Water a physician named Rune Orqvist has a nighttime vision which leads him to re-establish a derelict leprosarium, reclaiming it from the jungle, working alongside those with leprosy who have lost family and livelihood because of their disease. 

Another term used for the community is lazaretto, which intrigued me. I did some sleuthing, aka snooping on the internet,  and It turns out that this is a 16th century Italian word for a ship or colony established for those with infectious diseases or who must be quarantined. 

While it might refer to the friend of Jesus named Lazarus, who was raised from the dead in John 11 it is more likely a reference to the other Lazarus in the gospels, although this one is a figure in a parable of Jesus. An afflicted man who seeks mercy in the life to come receives it, while a haughty wealthy man is turned away. It's one of the few times where Jesus serves up some "hellfire and brimstone" in his teaching.

This Lazarus was venerated as a patron saint of lepers, even though he was not an actual person, and in the 12th century crusaders founded the Order of Saint Lazarus. 

Who knew? Well, now some of us do!