Pope Francis met with a Delegation of the Italian Federation of Rare Diseases in the Apostolic Palace.
Today, we bring you our lives. We are parents, children, teens and adults with rare diseases.
But this meeting was different than other audiences. Children came forward and brought Pope Francis their drawings—something that changed the course of the meeting.
Rather than reading the speech he had prepared, the Pope set it aside and spoke off the cuff.
POPE FRANCIS
This is better than a speech, isn't it? This is your speech—this spontaneity. Thank you.
Pope Francis then took time to greet each child and give them a rosary.
Antonia, here's a rosary. This is for you.
Afterwards, the Pope offered a few words praising the spontaneity of the group.
POPE FRANCIS
The real speech was what they showed us, with their limitations, with their illnesses, they made us understand that there is always a chance to grow and to move forward.
Founded in 1999, the Italian Federation of Rare Diseases is dedicated to protecting the rights and improving the quality of life of their patients and their families.
KG
