Pope Francis meets priests in Rome parish

By Vatican News

Pope Francis visited a parish on Thursday afternoon in a peripheric Roman suburb where he engaged in conversation with its priests.

A statement released by the Holy See Press Office Director, Matteo Bruni said the visit took place shortly after 4 pm.

"Pope Francis went to the parish of Santa Maria della Salute in Primavalle, where he was welcomed by the Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Rome," Bishop Baldo Reina, as well as the Parish Priest and the Deputy Parish Priest, he said.

Bruni added that during the visit the Pope engaged in conversation “with the approximately 35 priests of the prefecture's area, and returned to the Vatican shortly after 6 pm.”

A press release issued by the Vicariate of Rome pointed out that the priests met at the parish that is part of the 34th Prefecture, and that there were also the Prefects of the western sector of the diocese.

Bishop Reina described the conversation as "a fraternal dialogue." He said "The topics discussed concerned pastoral challenges with reference also to the problems of the area. An area in which the difficulties of young people and social exclusion are evident, but where many people of goodwill live”.

The statement also explained that “Pope Francis chose to visit this Prefecture because it is where two serious events recently occurred.

They concern the assassination of two women, 17-year-old Michelle Maria Causo who was stabbed to death by a peer last June, and 52-year-old Rossella Nappini, a 52-year-old nurse who was killed by her former partner at the beginning of September.