“I know that many children are praying for me; some of them came here to Gemelli hospital today as a sign of closeness. Thank you, dearest children! The Pope loves you and always waits to meet you”.
With this warm message, transmitted in the written text of the Angelus, Pope Francis wanted to greet and almost give a caress from a distance to the many children who yesterday gathered in the square of the Gemelli hospital for a gesture of tenderness towards him. Among them there were the children of the Schools of Peace of the Community of Sant’Egidio from various outskirts areas of Rome, who brought prayers, drawings, letters and posters dedicated to the Pope and his health, but also a large bouquet of white roses with the words “Madonnina, fai stare bene Papa Francesco” (Holy Mary, make Pope Francis healthy soonest) .
“Children are claiming peace, especially those from the Sant’Egidio Schools of Peace, who work hard for this purpose every day and today thay have come to pray for the Pope, for his speedy recovery and for him to return to speak loudly of peace in Ukraine, in Gaza, in Africa, in many war situations,” commented the president of the Community Marco Impagliazzo, who was at Gemelli together with some young volunteers.
“These children, with their presence, send a strong message for the recovery of Pope Francis,” Impagliazzo continued, “but above all they remind adults the need to act for peace, which is an urgent, daily and universal request. Adults have the duty to listen to this appeal and commit themselves concretely for a peaceful future.”
