Vatican City, Oct 2, 2010 / 15:45 pm
More than 100,000 people will reportedly join the Holy Father on Sunday for celebrations in the Sicilian capital of Palermo. In the midst of recent hardships, many in the southern Italian region are looking to the Pope for words to inspire a strengthening of the social and moral fabric of the island.
The Holy Father's one-day pastoral visit to the island of Sicily will be marked by three major encounters: Mass and the Angelus in a park on the Mediterrenean Sea, a meeting with priests, religious and seminarians in the Cathedral of Palermo and a celebration with young people and families in one of the city's central squares.
Archbishop of Palermo, Paolo Romeo, told Vatican Radio on Saturday that Benedict XVI's visit will not only be a confirmation of the faith for many people but it also "aims to be a spurring moment, of taking consciousness and a greater commitment, because the needs of today's society are immense."
Sicily has been hit hard by the economic crisis, leaving many families struggling with unemployment and young people looking for a solid future, he described. There is also the incessant problem of organized crime and an increasing moral degradation that plagues the region, said the archbishop.