This is the 87-year-old pontiff’s first trip outside Rome in seven months.
The one-day trip to Venice will be closely watched amid concerns over Francis’ frail health. During his 11-year pontificate, the Pope has traveled extensively around the world, but he has not been away since September when he visited Marseille in France.
8 o’clock After arriving by helicopter in the courtyard of the women’s prison on the island of Giudekas at 9:00 a.m. local time (9 a.m. Lithuanian time), the Pope greeted about 80 prisoners, employees and volunteers one by one.
The pope, who has championed prisoners and the marginalized throughout his pontificate, urged women to rebuild their lives “brick by brick, together, with determination” while they are behind bars.
“Prison is a cruel reality, and problems such as overcrowding, lack of facilities and resources, and incidents of violence cause a lot of suffering,” he said, sitting in front of the female inmates.
“But it can also become a place of moral and material rebirth…” he added.
Pope Francis called on the prison system to “give prisoners the means and space for human, spiritual, cultural and professional development, creating conditions for their healthy reintegration.”
The Pope also visited the prison’s art exhibition, which exhibits the works of 10 different artists depicting the daily life of the prisoners.
The exhibition is the Vatican’s contribution to this year’s Art Biennale festival, which began last weekend.
Francis’ visit is “a historic moment because he will be the first pope to visit the Venice Biennale,” said Jose Tolentino de Mendonca, the exhibition’s chief curator.
In December, the Pope was forced to cancel a planned trip to Dubai to speak at the United Nations climate change talks due to bronchitis.
In March, he also decided at the last minute to skip his homily during the Palm Sunday Mass at St. Peter’s Square because he had been suffering from a “mild flu” for several weeks, according to the Vatican.
