On a trip to Venice where Pope Francis tested his mobility and endurance after seven months of not traveling due to health problems, the sovereign pontiff appealed to people to pray for him because his work “does not it’s easy” and visited an art exhibition and a women’s prison, Reuters reports.
Pope Francis visiting VenicePhoto: Matteo Chinellato / ipa-agency.n / PA Images / Profimedia
The pope read three speeches and delivered a sermon during his five-hour stay, moving around the lagoon city in his wheelchair, golf cart and boat.
Although he appeared well and spoke with a clear voice, he did and admitted that sometimes life can be hard.
“Please pray for me, because this work is not easy,” he told the thousands of faithful gathered in St. Mark’s Square.
Pope Francis visited a women’s prison
He began the day by flying by helicopter to a women’s prison where the Vatican was holding an exhibition that is part of the Venice Biennale – a prestigious international art exhibition that has never before been visited by a pope.
The unusual decision to host the Holy See’s pavilion in a prison highlighted Francis’ repeated calls for society to mobilize around the poor and neglected, including the prison population.
“Prison is a harsh reality, and problems such as overcrowding, lack of facilities and resources, as well as episodes of violence, give rise to great suffering. But it can also become a place of moral and material rebirth,” he told the inmates and prison guards Sunday.
“Let’s not forget that we all have mistakes to forgive and wounds to heal,” he said, before meeting some of the artists who put on the exhibition titled Through My Eyes.
Francis then addressed a group of young Venetians outside the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, urging them not to spend their lives glued to their smartphones, but to help others.
“If we always focus on ourselves, our needs and what we lack, we will always find ourselves back at square one, crying for ourselves with a long face,” he said.
The 87-year-old sovereign pontiff uses a wheelchair or cane to get around and has recently suffered from the flu and pneumonia, which have caused him to limit his public speaking.
