Pope Francis welcomes 1,300 poor people for a lunch at Pope Paul VI’s Mass at the Vatican on the World Day of the Poor. He thanked all those who helped make this possible and all those who promoted initiatives of solidarity with people in need in local dioceses and parishes around the world.
Vatican News
Vatican City, Monday, November 18, 2024: During a lunch at the Vatican for 1,300 poor and needy people from across the city of Rome, Pope Francis expressed his gratitude to all those in dioceses and parishes around the world who help to the most disadvantaged and together they have initiated solidarity. . The special lunch for the 1,300 guests welcomed by Pope Francis was served by the Italian Red Cross, with nearly 340 volunteers serving the food.
During the Angelus, just before the start of lunch, Pope Francis recalled that Sunday, November 17, marks the World Day of the Poor, whose theme this year is “The prayers of the poor reach God.” And he said that we can all ask ourselves these questions: “Do I have nothing to give to the poor? When I give alms, do I touch the poor person’s hand and look him in the eye? Brothers and sisters, we must not forget that the poor cannot wait!
The beauty of simple signs.
Cardinal Konrad Kraiński, prefect of the Pontifical Dicastery for Charities, which organized the party, explained to the Vatican media why Pope Francis never tires of repeating this annual gesture: simply follow the example of Jesus, “to restore honor.” . Rosario Valastro, president of an organization that delivers products and food packages daily in response to the needs and requirements of homeless people, highlights the value of beauty inherent in simple things and small gestures. “Living isolated, on the margins of society, should not make them invisible to our eyes or take away their human dignity.”
The lunch, organized by the National Red Cross, included lasagna with vegetables, beef pie filled with spinach and cheese, mashed potatoes, fruit and dessert. Finally, the Vincentian priests gave each person a backpack containing food and personal hygiene products.
Free health care at Clínica Madre de Daya
Over the past week, the Department of Evangelization responded to the needs of those in need through various charitable initiatives, including paying the bills of needy families through contact with parishes. This initiative was made possible thanks to the traditional generosity of the Italian insurance company Unipolsai. The Our Lady of Mercy clinic, which collaborates with the department to help people living in precarious situations, closed last night. Its director, Massimo Rally, said: “Thank you to the many volunteers who have welcomed almost 1,000 poor people this week.” It made it possible to realize them and get to know them.”
More than 5 million people in Italy live in absolute poverty
At the same time, all parishes and diocesan communities have responded to the invitation to put the needs of the poor in their neighborhoods at the center of their pastoral activities through concrete signs of solidarity. Caritas Italiana, Italy’s national Catholic charity, published the 28th edition of the report on poverty and social exclusion in Italy, entitled “Leaves of grass in the cracks. Answers of hope”, within the framework of the first Synod of Churches in Italy, presented. It ended on November 17 in St. Paul’s Basilica. Today in Italy 9.7% of the population lives in poverty, practically one in ten people. In total, 50 lakh 694 thousand people live in absolute poverty, amounting to more than 20 lakh 217 thousand households (8.4% of households). This figure, slightly higher than in 2022 at the household level and stable at the individual level, remains the highest in the historical trend and shows no signs of decreasing.
