Pope Francis gave an elderly women 200 euros ($273) after hearing that she had been mugged on the way to visiting her ailing husband in the hospital.
The Catholic Herald is reporting that the woman, who was from Venice and in her late 80’s, wrote to the pope, telling him that her purse, containing 54 euros ($73), had been stolen during a trip to the hospital.
Last week, a local priest named Fr. Gianni Antoniazzi received an envelope in the mail that was bearing the seal of the Vatican Secretary of State. It contained a note signed by the Pope’s alms master, Archbishop Konrad Krajewski, which read:
“Please deliver in the manner it deems appropriate, the relevant amount to the lady in question, that it is a gift of His Holiness, who offers her his apostolic blessing accompanied by desired aid and divine comfort for her and for her husband.”
Fr Antoniazzi admits that he was overwhelmed with emotion when he realized what the pope was doing.
“It is an extraordinary series of events: Francis knows not only how to interact with people, communicating brilliantly and infusing them with great hope, but also responds to personal requests,” he said.
Pope Francis has surprised several people with personal phone calls and will no doubt continue to startle the world with his down-to-earth style and his very Christ-like compassion for the downtrodden.
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