Delivering love: The journey of children's letters to Pope Francis in hospital

Record ID: 1984370

  • Title: Delivering love: The journey of children's letters to Pope Francis in hospital
  • Date: 19th March 2025
  • Summary: ROME, ITALY (MARCH 19, 2025) (REUTERS) WORKER TAKING BOXES TO SORT MAIL FOR VATICAN AND "AGOSTINO GEMELLI" HOSPITAL BOX READING (Italian) "BIG USERS" / WORKER MOVING BOX VARIOUS OF WORKER SORTING LETTERS LETTERS BEING DROPPED INTO THE "GEMELLI" BOX STICKER READING "GEMELLI" BEING PUT ONTO BOX / WORKER PUTTING STICKER READING "POPE FRANCIS" ONTO BOX WORKER MOVING TROLLEY VA
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: AGOSTINO GEMELLI HOSPITAL HEALTH ITALY LETTERS MAIL POPE FRANCIS POSTE ITALIANE ROME VATICAN CITY
  • Location: ROME, ITALY
  • City: ROME, ITALY
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: Europe,Religion/Belief,Society/Social Issues
  • Reuters ID: LVA001003919032025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: There's been a dramatic increase in the volume of mail destined for 88-year-old Pope Francis at Rome's "Agostino Gemelli" hospital since he was admitted over a month ago with pneumonia, with many letters and drawings sent from children.
    The bulk of the mail joins the dozens of drawings that sick children hospitalized at the "Bambino Gesu" hospital near the Vatican have already sent to the pontiff.
    One note reads, “Me and you together" below a drawing of Pope Francis in a hospital bed comforted by a child undergoing oncology treatments. Another note accompanied by a drawing reads, “Dear Pope, I suggest you ask for a PlayStation as a gift”.
    One of Rome's main postal service sorting centres has recorded a surge in the volume of mail going to the Vatican with an increase of about 150 kilograms of mail per day.
    The Gemelli hospital sends a van every day to collect mail for the Vatican as well as post addressed to the pontiff himself, who is being treated on the 10th floor of the famous 'popes' hospital.
    Deliveries undergo security checks before being sorted and sent to their final destinations.
    (Production: Antonio Denti, Gabriele Pileri, Fabiano Franchitti)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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