This is one of the first images of Pope Francis in Verona, the city that inspired the book of Romeo and Juliet. He is surrounded by nuns who were overjoyed to greet the pontiff. Francis' first message was for them.
POPE FRANCIS
I wanted to begin by greeting these women, the cloistered nuns. Did you see how they all looked like that? Because in the cloister, in the enclosure, there is no loss of joy. There is joy. And they are good. They never gossip, never, never. They are good. Thank you, sisters.
The meeting with priests and consecrated people took place in the Basilica of St. Zeno, where the relics of the patron saint of Verona are kept. The Pope prayed in front of them.
This temple was chosen by Shakespeare as the setting where, according to the play, the main characters were buried. Aside from Shakespeare, the Pope spoke of Verona's influence on other literary authors.
POPE FRANCIS
It is pleasant to be in this Romanesque basilica, one of the most beautiful in Italy, which also inspired poets such as Dante and Carducci.
The Pope reminded those present that the religious vocation is by no means a bed of roses. There are hard moments that must be resisted.
POPE FRANCIS
So many times we forget this: none of us, when we began to walk this path, were told by the Lord that everything would be beautiful, comforting… No. Life is joy, moments of joy, but also dark moments. Resilience. The ability, the courage to go on and the courage to endure.
At the end of the meeting, gifts were presented to Francis—including the baptismal certificate of the priest and philosopher Romano Guardini, who was born in Verona but later lived in Germany. He is one of Pope Francis' favorite writers.
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