Sitting together with hope

On Sunday, 17 November, the eighth World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis had lunch with 1,300 poor people in the Vatican’s Paul vi Hall. It’s an annual event organized by the Dicastery for the Service of Charity with the help of different organizations each year. This time, the Italian Red Cross provided the meal and some 340 volunteers to serve the Holy Father’s guests.

At the end of the luncheon the Pope thanked his participants for their company and the Italian Red Cross volunteers for their contribution. Each person received a backpack from the Congregation of the Mission (whose members are known as Lazzarists or Vincentians) containing food and personal hygiene products.

Earlier that day, in Saint Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis had blessed 13 symbolic keys to homes in the 13 countries that are part of the Famvin Homeless Alliance’s ( fha ) 13 Houses Jubilee Project. This special initiative, which aligns with the Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year theme, “Pilgrims of Hope”, seeks to bring relief to families experiencing homelessness across the world, guided by the spirit of Saint Vincent de Paul. Pope Francis blessed the 30-cm-long bronze keys, sculpted by renowned Catholic artist Timothy Schmalz, as a symbolic gesture of the Church’s commitment to combating homelessness worldwide.