Pope asks clergy, religious in Rome to open their facilities to homeless

Homeless woman sleeping in St Peters Square. Image ICN/JS

Source: Vatican Media

As the Diocese of Rome prepares to welcome millions of pilgrims for the upcoming 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, Pope Francis has sent a letter the clergy and religious orders ministering in the Diocese of Rome, inviting them to open their facilities or vacant apartments to the homeless as "tangible sign" of hope for those in need.

"It is God's love that generates hope, and God's love is conveyed through our love," Pope Francis writes, expressing his deep gratitude to the many Roman parishes, religious communities, associations, ecclesial movements, and families in "who do so much to transmit God's love through concrete acts of charity (often in silence), generating hope in people's lives."

Recalling that in the Church's social teaching the common good encompasses "all the conditions that guarantee human dignity," including the inviolable rights to land, a home, and work, Pope Francis refers in particular to housing - a longstanding issue in the Italian capital - as a key area where hope and dignity can be fostered.

In preparation for the influx of pilgrims during the Jubilee Year, he therefore urges the Church of Rome to address this social emergency in collaboration with public institutions and associations.

He asked in particular for all ecclesial entities "to make a courageous gesture of love for their neighbour" by offering any vacant properties or unused reception facilities they may have available to house the homeless or those at risk of losing their homes. These people, he explained would be supported by institutions and social services, while associations and popular movements will provide other services to ensure a dignified and fraternal hospitality.

Closing the letter, Pope Francis again thanked priests, religious and laypeople in the Diocese of Rome for their generosity and "for everything you already do to convey God's love and generate hope in everyone's life, especially those in greatest need."