Venice: Pope Francis presided over a mass in Venice’s St. Mark’s Square on Sunday, warning of environmental damage and over-tourism.
Poor health has prevented the 87-year-old leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics from traveling in recent months, his last visit to Marseille, France in September.
But under a sunny sky on Sunday, the Pope appeared in spirit when he addressed more than 10,000 faithful in St. Mark’s Square, after previously visiting the women’s prison and addressing young Venetians.
Citing the “extraordinary beauty” of Venice, Francis listed the many threats it faces – climate change, mass tourism and “old social relations, individualism and loneliness.”
“Venice is one of the waters where it resides. Without the care and protection of this natural environment, it could even disappear,” the Pope said at his home.
“Similarly, our lives are forever buried in the fountain of God’s love,” he said.
The Pope’s visit comes after Venice introduced a new five-euro ($5.35) entrance fee for day-trippers in a bid to ease tourism pressure on the UNESCO World Heritage site.
Francis said “the difficulty of creating an environment suitable for people by managing tourism adequately” as one of Venice’s main challenges, and “climate change … the fragility of buildings, cultural heritage and people”.
Tourists are prohibited from entering the house during papal mass, which requires a ticket to attend.
On Sunday morning, Francis arrived by helicopter on Giudecca Island, where the women’s prison is located.
In a one-on-one meeting with about 80 inmates, staff and volunteers, the pope urged women to rebuild their lives behind bars “brick by brick” while offering administrators a reintegration program.
Sitting in front of the prison, he said: “The reality is that the prison suffers greatly from problems such as overcrowding, lack of facilities and resources, and episodes of violence.”
The Pope also toured the prison’s art exhibition, which explores the daily life of inmates, as part of the Vatican’s entry into the Biennale art festival this year, the work of 10 different artists.
It was the Pope’s first visit to the prestigious festival, which began last weekend.
Francis also spoke to young people outside the city of the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, arriving by speedboat at the opening of the Grand Canal.
He encourages everyone to get involved in this world, even if they are “glued to their cell phones, social media and video games.”
He also pulled out of Easter at the last minute in March after weeks of what the Vatican called a “mild flu.”
Francis’ planned visit this afternoon is his fourth papal visit, following Paul VI (1972), Paul II (1985) and Benedict XVI (2011).
The Diocese of Venice is one of the largest in Italy with 125 parishes and has close ties to the papacy. Three Venetian patriarchs became popes in the 20th century.
Francis, who uses a wheelchair, has suffered health problems in recent years, from knee pain to a hernia and bowel surgery.
Despite his ill health, the Vatican is planning a 12-day tour of Asia in September, visiting Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore.
Before that, the pope is scheduled to visit Verona and Trieste, Italy in May and July, respectively.
