Italian Oscar-winning
actor Roberto Benigni praised Pope Francis as a man full of
mercy on Tuesday at a presentation of the pope's new book on the
topic.
Comedian Benigni joined Vatican Secretary of State Pietro
Parolin and rehabilitated Chinese prisoner, Zhang Agostino
Jianqing, at the launch of The Name of God is Mercy, a book
based on an interview between the pope and journalist Andrea
Tornielli.
Benigni said Francis was always ready to help the poor and
marginalised, and that he could "sell mercy by the quarter
pound".
Francis has launched the new book during the special
Jubilee Holy Year he has dedicated to the virtue of mercy. In it
he says that earthly justice should be applied with mercy and
urges people not to marginalise minority groups such as
homosexuals.
Benigni said he felt moved to be part of the launch of the
book and joked that he had hoped to become the pope when he was
young.
"When people asked me what I wanted to be when I was older,
I would say: the pope. But everyone would start laughing so I
understood that I had to become a comedian," he said.
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