Ostia, Italy, May 19, 2017 / 09:39 am
On Friday Pope Francis made a Year-of-Mercy style visit to a poor neighborhood on the outskirts of Rome, blessing the houses of a dozen people, as parish priests do every year during the Easter season.
According to a May 19 Vatican communique, the Pope wanted to continue the "Mercy Friday" visits he made during the Jubilee of Mercy, which are signs "inspired by the corporal and spiritual works of mercy" he performed during the Holy Year.
"As a sign of closeness to the families living on the peripheries of Rome, he decided to bless their houses one-by-one, as the pastor does every year during the Easter season," the communique read.
Two days ago Fr. Plinio Poncina, pastor of Stella Maris, one of the six parishes in Ostia, posted signs on the outside of the condo building notifying families that he would be stopping by to give the annual Easter blessing.