Friday, September 22, 2017

Pope Francis continues Mercy Friday

Earlier today, the Holy Father left the Vatican and paid a surprise visit to the Santa Lucia Foundation, a centre for excellence which is very well known in Rome, specializing in neuro-rehabilitation of patients with mobility and cognitive difficulties.  They come to be treated for pathologies deriving from strokes, spinal cord injuries, Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis.

In this way, the Pope is continuing his Mercy Friday visits: gestures of closeness and support for those who are less fortunate which characterized the Jubilee of Mercy.

At approximately 4:00pm, Pope Francis entered the gates at via Arbeatina 306 and was joyfully welcomed by people who were in the complex's parking lot of the hospital complex at the time.

Immediately afterwards, the Holy Father was joined by the President of the Association, Doctor Maria Adriana Amadio, and by the Director General, Doctor Edoardo Alesse, as well as members of the staff who joined the small group who were visiting the Centre.

Particularly emotional was the Pope's visit to the rehabilitation department dedicated to children affected by neurological pathologies.  Pope Francis stopped and joked with them; exchanged some words of comfort with the parents who were present to assist their children with rehabilitation of motor skills, an exercise which is at times tiring and painful.  The Holy Father paid particular attention to exercises aimed at helping children to acquire or to re-establish their motor stability.

Pope Francis then visited the ward where tetraplegic and paraplegic patients between the age of 15 and 25 are found, some of whom were injured in road accidents, and the gymnasium where elderly patients are doing motor rehabilitation.

The Holy Father encouraged all of them to continue their physical exercises and stressed how important it is to hope for the future and to trust in scientific research that makes it possible for such great progress in this field.

Following a visit to the chapel which is found in the hospital, the Holy Father returned to Casa Santa Marta.

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