Currents News Staff
Pope Francis met Rome’s Mayor Virginia Raggi at Capitoline Hill. She showed Pope Francis the facilities where she organizes all government tasks for one of the largest cities in all of Europe.
“It is with deep and sincere appreciation that I welcome you to this chamber, on behalf of all the citizens of Rome,” said Mayor Raggi.
The Pope recalled a bit of history to ask the citizens to respect and care for one another.
“Rome is a city of bridges, never walls. Rome, over its nearly 2,800 years of history, has been able to welcome and integrate different populations and people from all over the world,” said Francis.
Pope Francis added that Rome is a “huge treasure chest of spiritual, historical-artistic and institutional treasures.”
Addressing the public from Capitoline Hill, he could see Michelangelo’s Dome and the Colosseum.
He added, “I would like to ask each of you, according to your capabilities, to take care of one another, to be close to each other and to respect each other.”
Pope Francis concluded the visit by affirming the city’s administrative staff of their dignity in improving Rome.
The visit comes at a time when Rome is experiencing a little bit of decay with excessive potholes and trash piling up, so Pope Francis used this as a perfect occasion to mention the positive aspects of the city.