The Pope arrived on Sunday morning by helicopter to the women’s prison on the island of Giudecca near Venice, where he greeted the around 80 inmates, staff and volunteers.
After the prison visit, the trip went by boat to the church of Santa Maria della Salute, where he met 1,500 young people, and then to St. Mark’s Square, where he celebrated mass.
In a speech to 10,000 people in St. Mark’s Square, he highlighted Venice’s “enchanting beauty”, but also pointed to the city’s major challenges, such as climate change, the fragility of cultural heritage and over-tourism.
He was in good spirits and appeared to be in good health, but he admitted in the speech that his job is stressful and asked the faithful to pray for him.
On the same weekend that Francis came to visit, Venice introduced a tourist tax of 5 euros. However, as a guest, the Pope was not charged the entrance fee.
The Vatican’s contribution to the Biennale
The visit to a prison is natural for the Pope, who has often defended the world’s poor and marginalized. He urged the women in prison to rebuild their lives “brick by brick” while behind bars.
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– Prison is a harsh reality, and problems such as overcrowding, lack of resources and episodes of violence lead to a lot of suffering. But it can also be an occasion for moral and material rebirth, he said, sitting on a chair in front of the inmates.
In prison, the Pope also visited an art exhibition which is the Vatican’s contribution to the famous Venice Biennale.
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A number of nations sponsor exhibitions during the Biennale. The Vatican’s exhibition has been named “Through My Eyes” and consists of works by nine contemporary artists, who have worked closely with the inmates on topics such as human rights and to show the reality of prison.
The somewhat unusual choice of exhibition space underlines Pope Francis’ repeated calls that society must stand up for the poor and those who fall outside, including inmates.
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The visit is the fourth time a pope has come to Venice, but the first time for Francis. In the early afternoon he returned to Rome after five hours in the city.
Form and agility
Although the pope arrived by helicopter directly from the Vatican, the trip was seen as a test of the fitness and agility of the 87-year-old church leader.
In recent months, he has struggled with several health problems. He uses a cane or a wheelchair to get around and has had several rounds of bronchitis and flu. At Easter, he stood over a walk of the cross on Good Friday out of concern for his health.
In the eleven years he has been Pope, he has traveled all over the globe, but the last time he traveled was a short trip to Marseille last September.
Although his health is not at its best, the Vatican is planning a twelve-day trip to Asia in the autumn. There the Pope will visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore.
Three trips in Italy are also on the block, to Verona and Trieste, and to a G7 meeting in Bari in June.
