Pope Leo XIV has visited the parish of the Sacred Heart, right in the center of Rome. It is a parish that dedicates much of its energy to caring for the homeless and migrants in the area.
POPE LEO XIV
Good morning and happy Sunday to everyone.
The atmosphere of the visit was familial, and almost a thousand people waited outside for the pope. He later met with the pastoral council of the parish, which is run by the Salesians of Don Bosco.
POPE LEO XIV
I sincerely thank you very much for everything you have done to organize this visit. The parish priest, perhaps he is too humble, I suppose he must have done something as well…So let’s give a round of applause to the parish priest this morning too!
The pope celebrated Mass in this church, which Pope Leo XIII asked Don Bosco to build.
The pope then met with the Salesian community, before whom he made this confession—he had already shared it with another group in the past at Castel Gandolfo, but had not said it in front of a camera before:
POPE LEO XIV
As a boy, before entering the Augustinians, I also visited the Salesian community. You came in second place, I'm sorry.
The Parish of the Sacred Heart is next to Rome’s main train station. Despite being a place through which millions of tourists pass every year, it is still a very run-down area: prostitution and drug trafficking are widespread, and many destitute people sleep on the streets. Many of them are immigrants from all over the world, but they find help in this parish run by the Salesians.
