Rome, Italy, Dec 7, 2018 / 10:39 am
Continuing his 'Mercy Friday' initiative, Pope Francis visited two live-in health centers in the far southern suburbs of Rome today, where he spoke with residents and gifted a 22-pound Christmas cake.
Around 3:30 pm, the pope left the Vatican to visit the CasAmica, a home for people with chronic illnesses who need continual medical care. The facility accepts those with serious economic difficulties, and their families, who need support for daily needs.
The residents of the CasAmica are mostly from southern Italy, with some from North Africa and Eastern Europe.
According to a Vatican press release on the pope's Dec. 7 visit, the fact that most of the guests are from outside Rome "highlights the phenomenon of 'health migration,' with the addition of the burden of hardship and poverty that it entails."