Pope Francis made his first trip outside Rome in seven months on Sunday with a visit to Venice that included an art exhibition, a stop at a prison and a mass.
Venice has always been a place of contrasts, of stunning beauty and devastating fragility, where history, religion, art and nature have collided over the centuries to produce an otherworldly gem. But even for a place that prides itself on its culture of unusual encounters, Francis' visit on Sunday stood out.
Francis traveled to the lagoon city to visit the Holy See pavilion at the Biennale's contemporary art show and meet the people who created it. But since the Vatican decided to set up its exhibition in the women's prison in Venice and invited the inmates to collaborate with the artists, the whole project took on a much more complex meaning, touching on Francis' belief in the power of art to elevate and unite, and of the need to give hope and solidarity to the most marginalized in society.
Alessandra Tarantino / AP
Her journey began in the courtyard of the Giudecca prison, where she met with women inmates one by one.
“Paradoxically, a stay in prison can mark the beginning of something new, through the rediscovery of unsuspected beauty in ourselves and others, symbolized by the artistic event you host and the project to which you actively contribute” , Francis told them. .
The 87-year-old pontiff met with artists from the Biennale in the prison's chapel, decorated with an installation by Brazilian visual artist Sonia Gomes of objects hanging from the ceiling, intended to draw the eye of the 'viewer up.
The Vatican exhibition has turned the Giudecca prison, a former reformed prostitutes' convent, into one of the must-see attractions of this year's Biennale, although it requires advance booking and security to see it . He has become a lover of the unusual art world who greets visitors at the entrance with Maurizio Cattelan's mural of two giant dirty feet, a work reminiscent of Caravaggio's dirty feet or the feet that Francis washes every year in a Maundy Thursday ritual that he usually performs. prisoners
The exhibition also includes a short film starring the inmates and Zoe Saldana, and filmed in the prison cafeteria by former Catholic nun and American social activist Corita Kent.
Alessandra Tarantino / AP
Francis' whirlwind morning visit, which ended with Mass in Saint Mark's Square, represented an increasingly rare outing for the 87-year-old pontiff, who has suffered health and mobility problems that have ruled out any trip to the 'foreigner so far this year. .
“Venice, which has always been a place of meeting and cultural exchange, is called to be a sign of beauty within everyone's reach,” said Francis. “Starting with the minimum, a sign of fraternity and care for our common home”.
Alessandra Tarantino / AP
During a meeting with young people at the iconic Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute, Francis acknowledged the miracle that is Venice, admiring its “enchanting beauty” and its tradition as an East-West meeting place, but warning that it is every increasingly vulnerable to climate change. and depopulation.
“Venice is one with the waters on which it sits,” Francis said. “Without the care and safeguarding of this natural environment, it might even cease to exist.”
at the exhibition as tourist guides and as protagonists of some of the works.
Before his trip, Francis sat down with “CBS Evening News” anchor and editor-in-chief Norah O'Donnell during an hour-long interview at the guest house where he lives in Rome.
During the interview, Francis called for peace around the world amid the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
“Please. Countries at war, all of you, stop the war. Seek negotiation. Seek peace,” the pope said, speaking through a translator.
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He also had a message for those who no longer see a place in the Catholic Church.
“I would say that there is always a place, always. If in this parish the priest does not seem welcoming, I understand, but go and look elsewhere, there is always a place,” he said. “Don't run away from the Church. The Church is very big. It's more than a temple… you don't have to run away from it.”
The pope's trip to Venice was the first of four planned in Italy over the next three months, Reuters reported. He is scheduled to visit Verona in May and Trieste in July, and is expected to attend the June summit of Group of Seven (G7) leaders in Bari.
In September he will also embark on the longest foreign trip of his papacy, traveling to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore.
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An extended version of O'Donnell's interview with Pope Francis will air on “60 Minutes” on Sunday, May 19 at 7:00 PM ET. On Monday, May 20, CBS will air a prime-time one-hour special dedicated to the papal interview at 10:00 PM ET on the CBS Television Network and streaming on Paramount+. In addition, CBS News and Stations will broadcast O'Donnell's interview across platforms.
