Pope Francis on Friday afternoon visited the Bruno Buozzi nursing home on the outskirts of Rome, before going to the Casa Iride, which provides care for those in a persistent vegetative state, as well as assistance for their families.
The surprise visit was announced from the official Jubilee of Mercy twitter feed. Photos showed the Holy Father greeting about 30 residents in the nursing home, and then talking with them while sharing a drink.
The official website of the Jubilee of Mercy said «this improvised visit took everyone by surprise, and helped people understand the importance of the words spoken by Pope Francis against a culture of waste, and the great value the elderly and grandparents have in the Church and society.»
The second facility houses seven patients in a vegetative state. The statement said this gesture by Pope Francis «demonstrates the great value of human life, and the dignity with which it must always be respected.»
The Holy Father was accompanied by the President of the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelisation, Archbishop Rino Fisichella.
The Archbishop had announced last year that Pope Francis would, on one Friday every month, make a gesture linked to the works of mercy.
On 18 December, the first «Friday of Mercy,» the Holy Father opened the Holy Door established at the Caritas hostel located near Rome’s Termini train station.
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A photo gallery can be seen at the Web site of the Jubilee: http://www.im.va/content/gdm/en/news/evidenza/2016-01-15-pcpne.html
