© Vatican Media

Pope Gives Ice Cream to Thousands of the Poor

Papal Almoner Visits the “Better World” Reception Center on International Day of Charity

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Share this Entry

To remember the International Day of Charity, September 5, 2018, Pope Francis has offered ice cream to thousands of the poor.
According to a press release, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the Pope’s Almoner, went on Wednesday to the “Better World” Center at Rocca di Papa, on the outskirts of Rome, to greet the migrants who landed from the Diciotti boat and will soon leave the “Better World” Reception Center to be received in different Italian dioceses.
The Polish Cardinal brought Pope Francis’ greetings and blessing and gave those present an image of the Holy Father and lunched with some 340 guests of the center, including migrants, employees and director of Italian Caritas, Monsignor Francesco Antonio Soddu.
The meal ended with a cake.
Afterward, the papal almoner then met with some forty volunteers who worked these last weeks to organize the departure of these young people.
Gifts were given to Cardinal Krajewski for the Pope; two Syrian children gave the Cardinal a portrait of His Holiness made by them and a Muslim woman gave him a crocheted representation of the Virgin Mary. Ice cream for 20,000 was distributed in reception houses and canteens for the poor, offered by a company that wished to share with the neediest. In addition, ice cream for 1,300 was also donated to the “Better World” Center.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Share this Entry

Deborah Castellano Lubov

Deborah Castellano Lubov is Senior Vatican & Rome Correspondent for ZENIT; author of 'The Other Francis' ('L'Altro Francesco') featuring interviews with those closest to the Pope and preface by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin (currently published in 5 languages); Deborah is also NBC & MSNBC Vatican Analyst. She often covers the Pope's travels abroad, often from the Papal Flight (including for historic trips such as to Abu Dhabi and Japan & Thailand), and has also asked him questions on the return-flight press conference on behalf of the English-speaking press present. Lubov has done much TV & radio commentary, including for NBC, Sky, EWTN, BBC, Vatican Radio, AP, Reuters and more. She also has contributed to various books on the Pope and has written for various Catholic publications. For 'The Other Francis': http://www.gracewing.co.uk/page219.html or https://www.amazon.com/Other-Francis-Everything-They-about/dp/0852449348/

Support ZENIT

If you liked this article, support ZENIT now with a donation