Rome, Italy, Aug 12, 2013 / 15:04 pm
An Italian man who has struggled to forgive God after the murder of his brother recently received a personal phone call from Pope Francis, who offered him words of comfort.
Michele Ferri was devastated when his brother, who owned several gas stations in the city of Pesaro in northern Italy, was shot and killed by two employees last June. The employees are now serving prison sentences.
Overcome with grief and frustration, Ferri had written a letter to Pope Francis, but never thought that he would receive a personal response.
On Aug. 7, however, Ferri "got an unexpected call," according to the newspaper Il Messagero. After saying "Hello," he heard the response, "Hi Michele, It's Pope Francis."