Pope Francis visited the city of Venice, Italy, this Sunday (28), and spoke with prisoners and artists participating in the Venice Biennale. He also asked young people not to spend their lives “glued to the phone”.
Francis visited the women’s prison on the island of Giudecca, where the The Vatican set up its Venice Biennale pavilion, with a multimedia exhibition set up with the participation of prisoners and artists. This was also the first time the pope visited the city’s Biennale of Arts, the most famous art exhibition in the world.
“Prison is a harsh reality and problems such as overcrowding, lack of facilities and resources and episodes of violence give rise to a lot of suffering. But it can also become a place of moral and material rebirth,” said the pope.
The trip, for which the pontiff used a helicopter, boat and even a golf cart, was the biggest test of Francis’ mobility this year, after health problems in recent months.
The 87-year-old pope also toured the city’s famous canals and asked young people to “Don’t spend your life glued to your phone”.
To the inmates, Francisco asked them to use their time in prison as an opportunity for “moral and material rebirth”.
“Paradoxically, a stay in prison can mark the beginning of something new, through the rediscovery of unsuspected beauty in ourselves and others, symbolized by the artistic event you are organizing and the project to which you actively contribute,” said Francisco.
Later this Sunday, the pope will return to the Vatican.
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