Papal
visit to Florence
(Vatican
Radio) Florentines welcomed the Holy Father on Tuesday as he arrived to
celebrate the Fifth National Convention of the Italian Catholic Church being
hosted by the city.
Vatican
Radio’s Luca Collodi spoke to the emeritus Archbishop of Florence, Cardinal
Silvano Piovanelli who looks forward to Pope Francis’ forthcoming visit.
“Our
Pope will be very welcome… He makes a good impression: he knows how to reach
out to people”.
Cardinal
Piovanelli recalled La Pira, a Former Mayor of Florence, who once said “Firenze
è Gerusalemme!” Florence is Jeruslaem! The cardinal believes that Florence “can
make Christianity sparkle”. He went on to say that “it is the city that ought to
kindle the Christian faith… every city has the capacity to welcome faith and to
express it”.
Amongst
other things, Pope Francis will visit the poor at the soup kitchen of San
Francesco Poverino at Piazza della Santissima Annunziata.
In
an interview with Alessandro Gisotti, Alessandro Martini, director of Caritas
di Firenze, explained how the Pope’s visit to the kitchens would “go down in
history… it is an honour and everyone feels very emotional”. “Everyone is
excited”, he said; “it gives everyone great joy, young people, the elderly,
Italians and foreigners”.
When
asked about the social impact of the papal visit on the whole city, Martini
said he had many friends who “have been looking forward to this special day, to
meet someone who is dear to them, regardless of their faith”.
He
went on to describe a normal day at the kitchens, emphasizing the importance of
company and conversations shared by the visitors. “It is a place of humanity.
Pope Francis will confirm this… demonstrating he is truly one of us, that he
shares with us. He is not putting on a show”.
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