Pope meets with the sick and poor in Rimini: ‘You are home’
By Kielce Gussie
After meeting those participating in the 47th Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples, Pope Leo XIV travelled to the Rimini Cathedral to meet with people who are sick, persons with disabilities and people living in poverty assisted by Caritas.
Expressing his gratitude for the Meeting, the Pope explained that the Cathedral is where “you are at home” because Jesus welcomed the sick, the poor, and those with disabilities at the center to “heal them and restore to them a life worthy of their dignity.”
In that way, he demonstrated God’s love and infinite mercy. After experiencing those signs and being healed, these people followed Jesus and joined his community of disciples.
Pope Leo urged everyone to follow this example. We are called to let Jesus heal us, to forgive us, and transform us. After that, we are called to walk together in his Church, that is the community he created to bring the Gospel to everyone.
With that in mind, the Pope once again thanked and encouraged everyone to “follow the Lord by taking an active part in the life of the Church—in the parish, in associations, and in places of welcome and service.” It is in these moments that we learn and experience God’s great love and realize that we are all his children and brothers and sisters to one another.
The Diocesan Caritas of Rimini offers a variety of services to help and care for the most vulnerable people in the local community. Some of the initiatives include a soup kitchen, Grandparents’ Outreach Service, prison services, and street outreach.
Supporting the Pope’s Mission
In his welcoming address to the Pope, Bishop Nicolò Anselmi recalled the figures who inspire the Diocese spiritually: from the two young people recently beatified, Sandra Sabattini and Alberto Marvelli, to the witness of the Servant of God Fr. Oreste Benzi, a priest from Rimini and founder of the Pope John XXIII Community. They are an inspiration to so many of the brothers and sisters present, “who are going through a difficult period in their lives”: from illness to addiction, as well as imprisonment. “Jesus is asking you to care for these people,” the bishop said.
Bishop Anselmi explained to Pope Leo that the cathedral houses two important relics: one of Saint Nicholas of Bari, “which offers us the opportunity to engage in ongoing ecumenical dialogue,” and a cloth bearing the blood of Saint John Paul II, “displayed here in an exhibition that includes a photograph of Pope Wojtyła alongside a very young Robert Prevost.”
Finally, the bishop addressed the Pope with words of trust and commitment: “We want to help you carry out this great task. We too, with you and like Peter, want Jesus and want to love one another. Bless us, Your Holiness, in this desire for love that we wish to live in our families, in our diocese and in the world.”
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