Pope Francis set to visit the Cittadella
della Carità in Rome
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| Visit of Pope Francis to the Cittadella della Carità run by Caritas of Rome |
On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of its institution,
Pope Francis is visiting the Cittadella della Carità [Citadel of Charity], a
group of charitable organizations under the auspices of Caritas Roma.
By Vatican News
Pope Francis on Friday afternoon will visit the Cittadella
della Carità, the “Citadel of Charity”, a collection of charitable programs
including the Dental Centre, the “Santa Giacinta” Home, the “Emporium of
Solidarity”, and the Cafeteria. He is expected to meet with the director, Fr
Benoni Ambarus, along with more than 200 guests and volunteers. Friday’s
encounter will be the fifth time Popes have visited the works of Caritas Rome.
In December of 2015, Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of
Charity at the Don Luigi Di Liegro Hostel to mark the opening of the Jubilee of
Mercy. On Friday, another special occasion, the 40th anniversary
of the institution of Caritas Roma, once again brings him to the Diocesan
charitable organization. The encounter is set to begin at 4 p.m. Rome time, at
the Citadella della Carità.
The reason for the visit
“The Pope’s visit”, explained Fr Ambarus, “is part of the
celebration for the 40th anniversary of the establishment of
Caritas in the Church of Rome”.
“Let us experience this event, together with our Bishop,
with a memory of gratitude to the Lord for having chosen us servants and
collaborators”, he continued. The Citadel of Charity “aspires to be a place of
witness to the city [of Rome] and to the Church”, providing charitable services
as concrete signs through which thousands of guests and volunteers pass each
year.
The program
The visit will begin in the Church of Santa Giacinta, the
heart of the complex. The Church has been granted the use of the historically
significant 19th century buildings by the City of Rome, and
undertook the recovery and restoration of the buildings with great care.
Pope Francis will then visit the Dental Centre, where more
than 40 volunteer dentists care for more than 350 patients, including numerous
minors. Last year alone, more than two thousand medical services were provided.
Afterwards, the visit will continue at the Emporium of
Solidarity, the first free supermarket in Italy. It was founded in 2008, and
each year welcomes more than 1,500 families. In 2018, more than 490 tons of
food products, with an estimated value of 770 thousand euros, were distributed.
From there, the Pope will have a tour of the Santa Giacinta
Home, which houses 82 people over the age of 50 who are experiencing social and
economic hardship.
Then, in the Cafeteria, the Holy Father will meet with about
fifty people living in different facilities, including hostels, family houses,
refugee facilities, homes for single mothers, and centres for unaccompanied foreign
minors.
Finally, in the main hall, there will be an assembly with
guests, volunteers, and workers representing parishes and diocesan centres from
around the city.
The fifth papal visit to Caritas centres in Rome
Today’s visit by Pope Francis marks the fifth papal visit to
Caritas in Rome. They began with Pope John Paul II, who visited the “Mensa di
Colle Oppio” (a soup kitchen operated by Caritas Roma) in 1992. Fifteen years
later, in 2007, Pope Benedict XVI also visited the Mensa; and in 2010, he met
with guests and workers at the Caritas facilities on Via Marsala on the
occasion of the European Year for Combatting Poverty. And, as mentioned
previously, Pope Francis continued the tradition of visits to Caritas centres
when he opened the Holy Door of Charity on 18 December 2015.
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