Pope at the S. Marta Dispensary: Lowering Oneself to Kiss a Child Reveals the Reality of Life
Pope at the Santa Marta Dispensary: stooping to kiss a baby reveals the reality of life
A great celebration in the Paul VI Hall for the meeting with the children and staff of the Santa Marta Dispensary, which helps newborns in difficulty. The Pope's Christmas greetings and the children's wishes for the Pontiff's birthday
Michele Raviart - Vatican City
"Working with children is not easy", but it teaches us that "to understand the reality of life, we must stoop as we stoop to kiss a child. They teach us this. The proud, the arrogant cannot understand life, because they are not capable of stooping". Thus Pope Francis addressed the Vincentian nuns, the volunteers of the Santa Marta Dispensary and the parents and children assisted by the facility, which provides pediatric care to children in difficulty from all over the world, without any distinction of race, nationality or religion.
The ability to humble oneself
“We all give so many things to children,” explained the Pope, thanking the doctors and nuns of the Dispensary, “but this remains the most important teaching”: Humble yourself. Humble yourself, be humble and thus you will learn to understand life and to understand people. And you all have this ability to humble yourselves: thank you so much for this, thank you so much”.
A cake for the Pope
Upon arrival in the Paul VI Hall, Francis greeted the children of the Dispensary one by one, sitting among them on the steps of the stage. To welcome him, there were Christmas carols, a festive Christmas choreography and a large cake for his birthday, which will be celebrated tomorrow. “I hope there is no indigestion with such a large cake”, joked Pope Francis, wondering what Mary would have done if the Baby Jesus had had, during this Christmas season, “some flu, some cold”:
“I am not sure whether there was a dispensary in Nazareth or Egypt, but I know for sure that if Our Lady had lived in Rome she would have brought him to this Dispensary, for sure”
The Pope, who listened to the testimony of some children and two mothers from Peru and Morocco, wished everyone a Merry Christmas, giving the children stockings full of chocolates, greeting them again together with families and staff before going to the Apostolic Palace for the recitation of the Angelus.
