Pope Francis: The poor are the treasure of the Church

Pope Francis received in audience this June 24 the members of the “Circolo San Pietro” (Circle of Saint Peter), an association that has been helping the poor in Rome for 150 years, offering them food and necessary care.

The “Circolo San Pietro” was promoted in 1869 by Pius IX, who encouraged a group of young people to feed the poor of the Eternal City. Today, it is known as “the Pope’s soup.”

In his welcome speech, Pope Francis highlighted that the meeting is “under the sign of gratitude, which is the beautiful ‘flavor’ of life.”

Later, he asked the volunteers not to “sterilize” the roots of the association, and stated that “memory is the organ of the future, as long as the roots remain alive and healthy.”

For this reason, he encouraged them to transmit to young people their heritage of values ​​and experiences: “Think how much wealth of lived faith, of concrete charity, of love for the poor can pass through the example of an older person. And think about how much energy, how much creativity, how much impetus a young person can give.”

He also gave an example of dedication to the poor to Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, the Italian layman who will be canonized during the Jubilee of 2025. As the Pontiff recalled, “in him was the sap of the Holy Spirit, there was love for Jesus and his brothers. ”.

Towards the end of his speech, the Holy Father made reference to the “works” that are currently taking place in Rome in view of next year’s Jubilee, and stated that “the work that cannot be missing is that of charity.”

“Pilgrims and tourists who come to Rome must ‘breathe’ the air of Christian charity, which is not just assistance, it is care for dignity, it is closeness, it is sharing life, without advertising, without spotlights,” he stressed.

Finally, he invited them “with your closeness, compassion and tenderness” to also prepare the city for the Jubilee, “caring not for the streets or the infrastructure, but for the heart and flesh of the poor, who, as Saint Lawrence said, are the treasure of the Church.”