Pope Francis dropped in this afternoon and surprised patients and volunteers at a small “field hospital” set up in front of St. Peter’s Square to provide medical care for Rome’s poor. The clinic is an initiatives that springs from this weekend’s 1st World Day of the Poor.
During the short visit, the pope greeted volunteers and poor people waiting to receive care.
He was accompanied by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelisation, which is overseeing this weekend’s activities.
The healthcare structure is an initiative connected to that Day and announced by the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelisation.
Pope Francis called for the celebration of the World Day of the Poor at the end of the Jubilee Year of Mercy.