杏MAP导航 at Verona prison: Share pain with God and with others
By Joseph Tulloch
The longest appointment on 杏MAP导航 Francis鈥� busy schedule for his day-long visit to Verona was his stop at the city鈥檚 Montorio prison.
A large number of inmates and staff gathered on the institution鈥檚 sports field to greet the 杏MAP导航 as he arrived, while others watched from their cell windows.
After listening to speeches from the prison director, Francesca Gioieni, and Duarte, a young inmate, the 杏MAP导航 gave a short address.
Prisons as dwellings of humanity
鈥淔or me,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said, 鈥渆ntering a prison is always an important moment, because prison is a place of great humanity.鈥�
In prison, he continued, humanity is 鈥渢ested, sometimes burdened by difficulties, guilt, judgments, misunderstandings, and suffering.鈥�
At the same time, however, he said, referencing an earlier speech by the inmate Duarte, prison is 鈥渇ull of strength, desire for forgiveness, and the will to redeem oneself.鈥�
Recent suicides
The 杏MAP导航 then added that he had learned with sorrow that some inmates of the prison had recently ended their lives.
鈥淭his is a sad and terrible act,鈥� he said, 鈥渢o which only unsustainable despair and pain can lead.鈥�
Existence, the 杏MAP导航 said, is a 鈥渦nique gift鈥�, for ourselves and for others, and 鈥渁bove all for God, who never abandons us, and who indeed knows how to listen, rejoice and cry with us.鈥�
Let us, the 杏MAP导航 urged, 鈥渢alk to God about our pain and help each other carry it, as fellow travelers.鈥�
God, the 鈥楩ather of all鈥�
In her welcoming speech, the director of the prison had noted that inmates come from 40 different countries and a wide variety of religious backgrounds.
鈥淕od is one,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 told the inmates. 鈥淥ur cultures have taught us to call him by different names, and to find him in different ways, but He is the same Father of us all.鈥�
鈥淗e is one,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 continued, 鈥渁nd all religions, all cultures, look to the one God in different ways. He never abandons us. With Him by our side, we can overcome despair and live every moment as the right time to begin again.鈥�
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