The pope will celebrate Mass in St. Peter's Basilica in the presence of the homeless. It will take place this Sunday morning, to commemorate World Day of the Poor.
The idea for World Day of the Poor was born to give continuity to this emblematic meeting during the Jubilee of Mercy. Four thousand homeless people gathered for the event.
It's the fourth consecutive year Pope Francis leads this initiative, to demonstrate the good Christians can do by helping people without resources.
In the past, the pope would eat lunch with the homeless after Mass.
One year he invited them to eat freshly made pizza next to the basilica.
Another year, the Hilton Hotel in Rome cooked for more than 1,000 people.
The pandemic has resulted in the cancellation of such events this year.
Of course, the pope could always come up with a last-minute surprise.
What Pope Francis has done is offer the homeless a free coronavirus test at the Vatican clinic. It's a small gesture to give them some degree of peace of mind in this time of uncertainty.
JMB
Translation: CT
