December 14, 2010. The Pope has a busy schedule this Christmas season, but there is always time for charitable events when you work at the Vatican. In honor of the 100th anniversary of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta's birth, the Pope will host a lunch for the needy, assisted by the Missionaries of Charity.
The event will take place on December 26th in the atrium of the Paul VI audience hall, though the Missionaries of Charity have a shelter that stands just behind the Vatican walls and serves Rome's thousands of homeless.
After the crowds from the Christmas and New Year masses clear, the Pope will also make a trip to Rome's Gemelli Hospital on January 5th, one day before the feast of the Epiphany.
There, he will visit the children recovering in the pediatric wing of the hospital, distribute gifts and most importantly, give his blessings.
He will also bless a center for babies with spina bifida, a birth defect that occurs when the vertebrae do not form properly. In severe cases, it can make walking or daily activities hard to do without help.
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