At the conclusion of Mass in Gyumri, Armenia, today Pope Francis took a moment to greet “all those who with such generosity and practical charity are helping our brothers and sisters in need.” In particular, the Pontiff recalled what is known as “the Pope’s Hospital,” a hospital desired by Pope John Paul II and which opened 25 years ago in Ashotsk. “It was born of the heart of Saint John Paul II,” Pope Francis observed, “and it continues to be an important presence close to those who are suffering.”
The “Redemptoris Mater” hospital was a gift of St. John Paul II to the Armenian people in the aftermath of the 1988 quake. The epicenter of the quake was in a region not far from where the Pope visited today. Between 25,00 and 50,000 people died in the disaster.
During his Friday-Sunday trip to Armenia, the Holy Father spent time today in Gyumri, visiting both the Catholic cathedral and the Armenian Apostolic cathedral, after his public Mass this morning.
