Source: AFP
Pope Francis presided over a mass in St. Mark’s Square in Venice on Sunday, warning of environmental damage and over-tourism in a closely watched visit, the elderly pontiff’s first outside of Rome since last year.
Fragile health has prevented the 87-year-old leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics from traveling in recent months, his last trip being a visit to the French city of Marseille in September.
But under sunny skies on Sunday, the Pope appeared in high spirits as he addressed more than 10,000 worshipers seated in the vast St Mark’s Square, following an earlier visit to a women’s prison and a speech to young Venetians.
Citing the “enchanting beauty” of Venice, Francis listed the many dangers it faces — climate change, mass tourism and “frayed social relations, individualism and loneliness.”
“Venice is one with the waters on which it sits. Without the care and protection of this natural environment, it could even cease to exist,” the Pope said in his homily.
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“Similarly, our lives are also forever immersed in the fountains of God’s love,” he said.
Venice, he said, “which has always been a place of meeting and cultural exchange, is called to be a sign of beauty available to all, starting from the last — a sign of brotherhood and care for our common home.”
The pope’s visit came on the same weekend that Venice rolled out a new five-euro ($5.35) entrance fee for day-trippers, aimed at easing tourism pressure on the UNESCO World Heritage site.
Francis said one of Venice’s main challenges was “the difficulty of creating an environment suitable for humans through the proper management of tourism” — along with “climate change … the fragility of structures, cultural heritage but and people”.
Tourists were prevented from accessing the square during the papal service, which required a ticket to attend.
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Suffering and rebirth
Earlier on Sunday, Francis arrived by helicopter on Giudecca Island, home to a women’s prison.
Greeting the roughly 80 inmates one by one, the Pope encouraged the women to rebuild their lives “brick by brick, together, with determination” during their time behind bars.
He urged administrators to offer reintegration programs.
“Prison is a harsh reality and problems such as overcrowding, lack of facilities and resources and incidents of violence cause great suffering there,” he said, sitting in front of the prisoners.
“However, it can also become a place of moral and material regeneration”, he added.
The Pope also toured the art exhibition housed in the prison.
It examines the daily lives of prisoners through the work of 10 different artists — the Vatican’s entry into this year’s Biennale art festival.
This was the first time a Pope had visited the famous festival, which kicked off last weekend.
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Francis also addressed some 1,500 young people gathered outside the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, who arrived by speedboat at the landmark church at the entrance to the Grand Canal.
He encouraged them to engage with the world, even though everyone is “alone with their cell phone, glued to social media and video games.”
“You must fearlessly go against the grain — take life into your own hands, get involved, turn off the TV and open the Gospel, put down the cell phone and meet people!” he said.
In December, a bout of bronchitis forced the pope to cancel a trip to Dubai, where he was due to address United Nations climate talks.
He also pulled out of an Easter event at the last minute in March after suffering for several weeks from what the Vatican called a “mild flu.”
Travel to Asia
The visit by Francis, who returned to Rome in the early afternoon, is the fourth papal visit to Venice, following those of Paul VI (1972), Jean-Paul II (1985) and Benedict XVI (2011).
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The diocese of Venice is one of the largest in Italy, with 125 parishes, and has close ties to the papacy.
Three patriarchs of Venice became pope in the 20th century.
Francis, who uses a wheelchair, has been dealing with increasing health problems in recent years, from knee pain to colon surgery and a hernia.
Despite concerns about the pope’s health, the Vatican is planning an ambitious 12-day trip to Asia in September, taking in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore.
Before that, the pontiff is due to visit the Italian cities of Verona and Trieste in May and July respectively.
Source: AFP