![]() Since being elected to the Holy See earlier this year, the pontiff has made headlines around the world by washing the feet of juvenile delinquents, personally calling distraught worshipers on the phone and inviting homeless people to dine at St Peter's Square. He said Pope Francis - who as archbishop of Buenos Aires went out at night to visit the needy - had often expressed a desire to accompany him on his nocturnal missions.Īlthough he refused to confirm or deny whether the pope has accompanied him, many will see a refusal to comment as admission that Francis is heading out on the streets to anonymously give alms. The speculation that the Pontiff has been visiting the poor under the cover of darkness comes after an interview with Archbishop Konrad Krajewski, whose role includes distributing money from the Holy See to the poor. It follows today's claims that Francis has been sneaking out of the Vatican at night to give money to the poor on the streets of Rome. He is a fan of the passionate tango dance and had a girlfriend he danced with before he became a priest, Gazetta Del Sud reported. The first Jesuit pope, who leads 1.3 billion Catholics, has lived a colourful life. And he added his voice to the chorus of solidarity on Holocaust Remembrance day.Īfter meeting with World Youth Day volunteers, Francis was heading back to Rome to prepare for another big trip next weekend to Abu Dhabi, the first by a pope to the Arabian Peninsula.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented Pope Francis with a Menorah and a book on the Spanish Inquisition ![]() ![]() He denounced the bombing of a cathedral in the Philippines earlier Sunday. He appealed for peace in Colombia following a car bombing at a police academy that killed 21 people earlier this month. "The Good Samaritan, whether in the parable or in all of your homes, shows us that our neighbor is first of all a person, someone with a real, particular face, not something to avoid or ignore, whatever his or her situation may be."įrancis used his visit to the home to issue a string of appeals, beyond Venezuela. Some for a few miserable coins, others for fear of becoming unclean," he said. ![]() "For indifference can also wound and kill. Using the parable of the Good Samaritan, who tended to a stranger in need, Francis called for an end to the indifference that society treats the poor and the sick. "But here they receive Christian help, as the church wants." Domingo Escobar, director of the Casa Hogar El Buen Samaritano. "Many of the people we help here have been rejected by their families, by people in the street," said the Rev. "Our trip was very long but it was worth it because we came here to Panama City because of our faith, our Christian faith," said pilgrim Sawadogo Kiswensidad, who travelled from Burkina Faso.Īfter Mass, Francis visited a church-run home for people infected with HIV, sending a strong message of acceptance in Panama, where AIDS carries a stigma. "You dear people are not the future but the now of God," Francis told the pilgrims draped in flags from across the Americas.Īt the end of the service, the Vatican announced the next edition of World Youth Day would be in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2022. The Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, was former ambassador to Venezuela so he knows the situation well.įrancis made the Venezuela comments after he closed out World Youth Day with a Mass in a Panama City field before an estimated 700,000 people and presidents from across the region: Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama and Portugal. The Venezuela crisis has dominated Francis' visit to Panama, both behind the scenes and in public, with the pope at one point asking out loud if any Venezuelan bishops were on hand at the end of an event. He "asked the Lord to seek and find a just and peaceful solution to overcome the crisis that respects human rights and exclusively seeks the good of all people." Speaking off-the-cuff at his Sunday blessing, Francis said he felt particularly close to Venezuelans while he was in Panama. The Vatican years ago was frustrated in its attempt to mediate between socialist President Nicolas Maduro and Venezuela's opposition, which has the backing of many Venezuelan bishops. Pope Francis called Sunday for a "just and peaceful solution" to Venezuela's political crisis as he wrapped up a visit to Panama for a World Youth Day rally that was overshadowed by the upheaval unfolding nearby.įrancis refused again to say if the Holy See would recognise opposition leader Juan Guaido in his claim for the presidency, which has been backed by the United States and other regional leaders.
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