(ZENIT News / Rome, 09.28.2023).- Surprisingly, on the afternoon of Thursday, September 28, Pope Francis met with around 35 priests from the Diocese of Rome at the Santa Maria della Salute parish. These priests are those who work pastorally in the thirty-fourth prefecture, along with the prefects of the western sector of the diocese. Bishop Baldo Reina, the auxiliary bishop of the western sector, was also present. The meeting began at 4:30 PM and concluded at 6:15 PM.
“It was a fraternal discussion under the banner of dialogue,” said Bishop Reina, noting that the topics discussed were related to pastoral challenges with reference to the issues in the area. It’s an area where youth unrest and social exclusion are evident, but it’s also home to many well-intentioned individuals.
Pope Francis chose to visit this prefecture because two serious incidents recently occurred here: Michelle Maria Causo and Rossella Nappini were murdered in the last few months.