Palermo. Mission of Hope and Charity.
The poor of the Mission are preparing for lunch. For them, this is a special day.
Pope Francis, the world’s highest moral authority, has chosen to share their meal.
The least of the earth welcome the Pope, sit with him, and—as often happens during a meal—they talk, joke, open up.
Francis listens to their stories, comforts them, and explains the meaning of his pontificate: a poor Church for the poor, standing beside the marginalized, migrants, the sick, the “discarded” of consumer society; his relationship with other religions; and his radical criticism of an economic system that prioritizes profit at the expense of human dignity and freedom.