Pope Francis made a surprise visit to a shantytown on Rome’s outskirts on Sunday, stunning poor residents, many of them from his native South America.
The pope was on his way to a visit to a parish in the working class Tiburtina area when he asked aides to make a detour to stop at the shantytown he had heard about.
“He got out of the car and people were shocked when they saw him in front of their shacks,” said Father Aristide Sana, the pastor of the parish.They rushed out of their shacks made of concrete, wood and corrugated metal. the Holy father ordered security to allow the people come to him. he even hugged a child with Down syndrome and offered scholarship for all the slum kids.
“How many of you here speak Spanish?” the pope joked in Spanish.
“Todos! Todos!” (everybody, everybody),” they shouted.
The almighty God loves his children rich and poor alike and that is why i have come to spend some time with you the pope said.
The pope was on his way to a visit to a parish in the working class Tiburtina area when he asked aides to make a detour to stop at the shantytown he had heard about.
“He got out of the car and people were shocked when they saw him in front of their shacks,” said Father Aristide Sana, the pastor of the parish.They rushed out of their shacks made of concrete, wood and corrugated metal. the Holy father ordered security to allow the people come to him. he even hugged a child with Down syndrome and offered scholarship for all the slum kids.
“How many of you here speak Spanish?” the pope joked in Spanish.
“Todos! Todos!” (everybody, everybody),” they shouted.
The almighty God loves his children rich and poor alike and that is why i have come to spend some time with you the pope said.
