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In "fair Verona" where Shakespeare placed Romeo and Juliet, Pope Francis called for justice, peace, and a spirit of taking care of our neighbor.
The Pope made a day trip to Verona on Saturday, May 18. He had a meeting with priests and religious, and another with children, before chairing the meeting "Arena of Peace: Justice and Peace embrace," where he took questions. He then visited a prison and had lunch with the detainees. Later in the day, he was to celebrate a public Mass at Bentegodi Stadium.
In a nod to the story of Romeo and Juliet, Pope Francis reflected:
"If Shakespeare's genius was inspired by the beauty of this place to tell us the tormented vicissitudes of two lovers, hindered by the hatred of their respective families, we Christians, inspired by the Gospel, strive to sow love everywhere that is stronger than hatred and death. Let us dream of Verona as a city of love."
He lamented how easily we ignore the needs of others:
Many of us could "win the Nobel Prize of Pontius Pilate, because we're masters at washing our hands," he remarked, in a bit of humor tinged with sadness. "The first step is to understand that we are not at the center," he insisted, while acknowledging that the needs of "little ones make us uncomfortable."
