NPR

Pope Francis Turned A Vatican Palazzo Into 'Palace Of The Poor' For Homeless People

"If you sleep on the ground covered in cardboard and have to wake up at 5 a.m. before the police come to shove you away, and then you find a place like this, what more do you want?" says a new guest.
Pope Francis shares a meal with guests and volunteers of the "Palace of the Poor."

As the bells of St. Peter's Basilica ring out from the Vatican on a chilly January evening, a few people huddled in shabby clothes stand a few yards from the colonnade encircling St. Peter's Square.

They are waiting to enter the Palazzo Migliori, a 19th century palace just behind the square.

One of them is Livia, an Italian woman in her 60s. After having slept on Rome's streets for

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR3 min read
Apple Shows Its Steepest Quarterly Decline In IPhone Sales Since Pandemic's Outset
The 10% drop in year-over-year iPhone sales for the January-March period is latest sign of weakness in a product that generates most of Apple's revenue.
NPR5 min readAmerican Government
Six Months Out From The Election, Wisconsin Students Weigh Voting For Biden
Wisconsin's young voters — who have turned out in big numbers in recent elections — are key for either candidate to win the state. But Biden is facing some skepticism on the state's college campuses.
NPR4 min readInternational Relations
Senior UN Official Says Northern Gaza Is Now In 'Full-blown Famine'
Cindy McCain, the American director of the U.N. World Food Program, became the most prominent official so far to declare that trapped civilians in northern Gaza had gone over the brink into famine.

Related Books & Audiobooks