Doctors, nurses, medical personnel and hospitalized children—some 3,000 of them moved for a day from the corridors of the “Pope's Hospital,” the Bambino Gesù, to meet in person with Pope Francis.
POPE FRANCIS
Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome everyone. I am glad to see you all. I have not yet recovered and that is why I cannot read the message well. Monsignor Ciampanelli will do it for me. Thank you.
The reason for this meeting was the 100th anniversary of the donation of the hospital to the Vatican. In his speech, Francis stressed the importance of care. He said that care does not exist if it is not accompanied by closeness and tenderness.
MONS. CIAMPANELLI
Speaking of care, we know that a child's illness involves all of his or her family members. Therefore, it is a great consolation to know that there are so many families cared for by your services, received in hospital-related facilities and accompanied by your kindness and closeness.
Pope Francis was unable to read his speech, but he did spend time greeting individual children and their families. Among them, some were from Gaza and Ukraine, who are receiving medical treatment at the Bambino Gesù.
The morning also left images like these. The children hugged the Pope, gave him their drawings and even asked for his autograph.
The Pope was even given a clown nose, but decided it was better fit for one of the children.
Present in the audience was also the president of the Bambino Gesù hospital.
CA
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