Pope Francis hosts 1,300 of Rome's poor for lunch at Vatican

By Alessandro Di Bussolo e Antonella Palermo

During the lunch for 1,300 people from around the city in need of assistance, Pope Francis expressed his gratitude to all those in dioceses and parishes around the world who have undertaken initiatives of solidarity with the most disadvantaged. The special lunch for 1,300 guests welcomed by Pope Francis was offered by the Italian Red Cross with around 340 volunteers serving the meal.

During the Angelus, just before the lunch began, Pope Francis recalled that this Sunday 17 November marks the World Day of the Poor, with this year's theme "The prayer of the poor rises up to God." And he said we can all ask ourselves these questions: "Do I go without something in order to give it to the poor? When I give alms, do I touch the hand of the poor person and look him or her in the eyes? Brothers and sisters, let us not forget that the poor cannot wait!"

The Beauty of simple gestures

Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the Papal Almoner and Prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, which organised the banquet, explained to the Vatican's media why Pope Francis never tires of repeating this annual gesture: simply to follow the example of Jesus, "to restore dignity to people." Rosario Valastro, president of an association that distributes products and food parcels daily to help the homeless in response to the needs and requirements of so many people, emphasises the value of the beauty that lies in simple things and small gestures. "May their living on the margins of society, in solitude, not make them invisible to our eyes, nor erase their human dignity."

The lunch, enlivened by the national Red Cross fanfare, included a menu of lasagna with vegetables, beef meatloaf stuffed with spinach and cheese, mashed potatoes, fruit, and dessert. At the end, each person will be given a backpack offered by the Vincentian Fathers (Congregation of the Mission), containing food and personal hygiene products.

Free healthcare at Mother of Mercy Clinic

Today also marks the culmination of the efforts made by the Dicastery for Evangelisation over the past week, which has provided for the needs of the neediest with various charitable initiatives, including, the payment of bills for the neediest families through contacts with parishes. This initiative was made possible through the traditional generosity of Italy's UnipolSai insurance company. The Madre di Misericordia (Mother of Mercy) outpatient clinic that works with the Dicastery to support those living in precarious conditions closed last night with "a river of charity," its director Massimo Ralli noted, "thanks to the many volunteers who have made it possible to welcome and visit almost 1,000 poor people this week."

More than 5 million living in absolute poverty in Italy

At the same time, all parish and diocesan communities have responded to the invitation to place the needs of the poor in their neighbourhoods at the centre of their pastoral activities through concrete gestures of solidarity. Caritas Italiana, Italy's national Catholic charities, published the 28th edition of the Report on Poverty and Social Exclusion in Italy entitled "Blades of Grass in the Cracks. Responses of Hope" presented as part of the first synodal assembly of the Churches in Italy, which closed on 17 November at the Basilica of Saint Paul's Outside the Walls. Today in Italy 9.7% of the population lives in poverty, practically one person in ten. In all, there are 5 million 694 thousand living in absolute poverty making a total of over 2 million 217 thousand families (8.4% of households). This figure, which is slightly higher than in 2022 on a family basis and stable on an individual basis, is still the highest in the historical trend and does not show signs of decreasing.