Pope Francis on Friday blessed homes
in Ostia, on the Roman coast, as a sign of "closeness" to those
living on Rome's outskirts in a new initiative, continuing the
Fridays of Mercy he inaugurated during the Holy Year Jubilee of
Mercy, the Vatican said.
The Vatican likened it to the regular pre-Easter blessings of
homes carried out by parish priests.
"The pope has become a parish priest", the Vatican press
office said, saying there had been "great surprise" among
residents when they opened their doors to see Francis standing
there instead of the local priests as they had expected.
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