On the morning of Sunday, April 28, Pope Francis arrived in Venice, where the biennale’s 60th international art exhibition is on view until November 24, and in which the Vatican is also participating. The Pope came to open the Pavilion of the Holy See and meet with imprisoned women, artists and young people, celebrate Holy Mass and pray to the relics of the patron saint of the city, St. Mark.
Jānis Evertovskis – Vatican
The motto of the Pope’s visit: “Stay united in the love of Christ”. At 6:30 a.m. he flew out of the Vatican by helicopter and arrived in Venice at 8:00 a.m. Since the visit to this city began with a visit to the Venezia-Judeka women’s prison, the helicopter landed directly in the courtyard of the prison. There, the Bishop of Rome was welcomed by the Patriarch of Venice, Francesco Moralia, and the prison authorities. He then met with about 80 female inmates, administrative staff, police officers and volunteers.
“You have a special place in my heart,” Francis said. At the beginning of the address, he indicated that he wanted this moment to be lived not so much as an “official visit”, but as a meeting, in order to devote time to each other, to share prayer, closeness and fraternal sincerity. “We will all leave this yard richer today,” he said. “Maybe I’ll be the one who gets richer.”
The Pope acknowledged that prison is a harsh reality of life, but affirmed that it can also be a place of moral and material rebirth, where the dignity of women and men is not “isolated”, but promoted, respecting each other and developing their talents and abilities, which maybe life were suffocated and buried because of somersaults. No one takes away human dignity, no one! – he emphasized. Paradoxically, being incarcerated can mark the beginning of something new, revealing previously unseen elements of beauty in yourself and others. As an example of this, he mentioned the art exhibition of Venice, in which the women of this colony also take an active part. This means that it is important that the prison system offers prisoners the means and opportunities for human, spiritual, cultural and professional growth and creates conditions for their reintegration. “Please do not ‘isolate dignity’, but give new opportunities”, urged Francis.
The Holy Father called not to forget that we all have mistakes to be forgiven and wounds to be healed. “Me too,” he admitted. But we can all become healed and heal others, be forgiven and bring forgiveness to others, be reborn and bring rebirth to others.
At the end of the speech, he invited everyone to renew their faith in the future, not to close the window, always look to the horizon, always look to the future with hope. The Pope encouraged to start each day with the words: “Today is the right time, today is the right day, today I will start again”. The guest of the Vatican presented the prison with a painting of the Mother of God and reminded us of Mary’s motherly tenderness, which accompanies us all. “She is the Mother of tenderness”, said Francis.
