Charity begins at home: Pope visits Vatican shelter, greets residents

Published: 2008-01-04

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- They welcomed him with a red paper garland, smiles and a few whispered words about themselves. Pope Benedict XVI's 45-minute visit Jan. 4 to the Vatican's shelter for the poor and homeless was distinctly simple and low-key. It began with a song about Jesus, sung by the Missionaries of Charity sisters who run the institution. In the small, crowded women's dining room, an atmosphere of quiet dignity prevailed. The pope greeted each of the women personally, and they shook his hand or kissed his ring. This was not a media event, and the pope didn't dish up soup or wait on tables. "I am here to tell you the pope loves you and is close to you," he said in a brief talk. To the roomful of women who have fallen on hard times, he said he wanted to remind them that "God never abandons us." The pope paused in the men's dining room just long enough to wish the group "Have a nice lunch!" Then he visited the quarters for sick women. Authorities estimate Rome has some 3,000 homeless people, and it's been a cold winter for them. Two froze to death Jan. 1. At the Vatican shelter, the pope left practical gifts for the guests: food and blankets.

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