Pope Francis calls on Italian government to find homes for all families
Speaking to parishioners gathered in the main square of the Vatican, among whom were Italians protesting against saving, Pope Francis called on the Italian authorities to provide shelter for all those in need.
The protesters pope tried to express his opinion and achieve goals peacefully, without using any violence. During the speech, the pontiff’s gaze stopped at one of the posters of the demonstrators, which read “Poverty is not waiting,” Papa turned to the country's authorities, asking them to “do everything in their power so that every family gets a roof over their heads”.
The recently established economy regime in the country did not attract the approval of the population. Numerous protests broke out all over Italy, which sometimes led to clashes with the police. The demonstrators burned barrels, threw smoke bombs, threw spesnaz fighters eggs, trying to resist them. Many protesters were detained.
The budget plan for 2014, proposed by Prime Minister of Italy Enrico Letta, provides for the detention of salaries to employees of the public sector, as well as a slight reduction in income tax. Thus, the government believes that such measures will help save about 10 billion euros.
With their massive protests, Italians also express their dissatisfaction with the ever-increasing youth unemployment rate. According to ISTAT, at the end of November the unemployment rate in the country stopped at 12.5%, while the number of unemployed Italian youth continues to grow rapidly. Today, more than 40% of young people in the country do not have regular earnings.
The employment rate now stands at just over 55%, which is also a low indicator for an EU country.
Meanwhile, Pope Francis, who calls on demonstrators to resolve the problem peacefully, continues to hit the front pages of the press.
So, a couple of days ago, journalists found out that the pontiff was very popular and respected among believers. Over the past year, more than two million people came to his sermon on St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. For comparison: to listen to the predecessor of Francis, Benedict XVI, parishioners came four times less often.
According to data provided by the Vatican, over the course of the year the pope held over thirty sermons on the main square of the Vatican, for which more than one and a half million tickets were sold. Moreover, in the remote part of the section of St. Peter's Square, about twenty thousand people gather who come to listen to everyone respected pope for free.
Meanwhile, the will and words of the pontiff reach Belarusians. For the first time in history, the pope sent a letter to Belarus in Belarusian. The message was addressed to Jadwiga Pasternak, a resident of the village of Mulyary (Vileika district).
In his letter, Francis personally thanked the Belarusian for her service to the Catholic Church. Jadwiga, who lived with faith from the age of 6, was born and raised in a small village. During the years of persecution, the woman managed to save the cross from the local church, which was subsequently dismantled by the Soviet authorities. The woman taught village children church literacy, held divine services before the holidays, and organized the spiritual life of Mulyari.
The letter from the pope Jadwig himself was personally transmitted by the Vatican ambassador to Belarus, Claudio Gugerotti.
