Pope Francis has shown that he can be a pretty cool dude. From joining Instagram to looking fear directly in the face, the religious leader the internet has dubbed “Cool Pope” has made it seem like he’s making the Vatican a pretty rad place to hang out. And he’s continuing his run of good deeds — kind of in the job description — by treating the homeless to trips that include swimming and pizza.
As reported by Vatican Insider, the pope has approved weekly trips that give the homeless population a chance to visit the beach and then go out for pizza afterwards. Archbishop Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner, has been organizing and leading these trips, which have been ongoing this summer.
The rationale for the outings is that many people leave Rome during the summer for their own vacations, but homeless people do not have that luxury. Many soup kitchens and other resources for homeless are closed during this time, so the Vatican wanted to help people out:
“We continue, with the Swiss Guards and the gendarmes, to bring food in the evening to the Roman stations, but in the afternoon, using our van, I accompany groups of 10-11 homeless to go for a swim.”
And:
“We always conclude the trip in a pizzeria, as do many people who are on vacation at this time. We certainly are not saving the world with some of these initiatives, we are not solving the problems of the homeless in Rome, but at least we are restoring to them a little dignity.”
According to Vatican Insider, the pizza is “offered by the pope” and at least 100 people have already taken part in the trips, which Krajewski says provides those “living in insecurity” a moment of feeling just like “everyone else.”
Pizza, is there anything it can’t do? Not only is it a food that’s always good (even when it’s not-so-good), but this tasty pie is also using its powers for good.
(Via Vatican Insider)
