Pope meets Italy's railway workers

Pope Francis received managers, technical staff and personnel of the Italian State Railway in a special audience on Saturday Around 7,000 employees of the Ferrovie Dello Stato Italiane packed the Paul VI audience Hall for the special noon event that started.

During the audience the Holy Father praised the organization and its employees for their work and for their historical commitment to works of solidarity and compassion, including their support for the recently concluded renovations of the Caritas center near Rome's central station which works with the homeless and refugees.

He said: "May the Year of Mercy, which opened only a few days ago, impress upon our mind and our heart that mercy is the first and most real medicine for man, of which everyone has urgent need."

Pope Francis also praised the commitment of the railway workers for the difficult and often dangerous work they do in building and maintaining the network. "Not a few workers have also lost their lives in this labour," he said. "We remember them all - and let us make it so that - so far as it is in our power - such things do not happen anymore."

Source: Vatican Radio