Pope Francis visited the homeless late on Thursday at a new shelter he set up close to the Vatican, where he chatted with around 30 mainly Italian guests.
Francis asked to be shown around the shelter and gave a blessing to each of its guests. He arrived at 7pm after the Vatican summit on the family ended for the day and spent around 30 minutes there.
The shelter can sleep up to 34 people, is run by the Office of Papal Charities and staffed by Catholic nuns. The building belongs to the Jesuit order and is located in the same street as Rome's Santo Spirito public hospital. It previously housed a travel agency.
The area around the Vatican attracts a large number of homeless people. Many sleep rough under the arcades of Via della Conciliazione leading to St Peter's Square and get meals at a nearby soup kitchen.
