Pope holds mass at San Marco in Venice, first visit in months

Pope Francis led Mass in Venice’s St. Mark’s Square on Sunday and warned of environmental damage and overtourism in a closely watched visit, the first for the aging pontiff outside Rome since last year.

Fragile health has prevented the 87-year-old leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics from traveling in recent months; his last trip was a visit to the French city of Marseille in September.

But under sunny skies on Sunday, the pope appeared cheerful as he addressed more than 10,000 worshipers packed into the vast St. Mark’s Square, following an earlier visit to a women’s prison and an address to young Venetians.

Citing the “enchanting beauty” of Venice, Francis listed the many dangers the country faces: climate change, mass tourism and “frayed social relations, individualism and loneliness.”

“Venice is one with the waters on which it lies. Without the care and protection of this natural environment, it could even cease to exist,” the Pope said in his homily.

“In the same way, our lives are also forever immersed in the sources of God’s love,” he said.

Venice, he said, “which has always been a place of meeting and cultural exchange, is called to be a sign of beauty available to all, starting with the latter – a sign of brotherhood and care for our common house.”

The pope’s visit came the same weekend that Venice launched a new five-euro ($5.35) entrance fee for day trippers, aimed at easing the pressure of tourism on the UNESCO World Heritage site.

Francis said one of Venice’s greatest challenges was “the difficulty of creating an environment suitable for human beings through adequate tourism management” – along with “climate change… the fragility of structures, of cultural heritage but also of people.”

Tourists were not allowed to enter the square during the papal mass, which required a ticket.

– Suffering and rebirth –

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Earlier on Sunday, Francis arrived by helicopter on Giudecca Island, home to a women’s prison.

The Pope greeted the approximately 80 prisoners one by one and encouraged the women to rebuild their lives “stone on stone, together, with determination” during their time behind bars.

He urged administrators to offer reintegration programs.

“Prison is a harsh reality and problems such as overcrowding, the lack of facilities and resources, and episodes of violence cause a lot of suffering there,” he said, sitting in front of the prisoners.

“But it can also become a place of moral and material rebirth,” he added.

The Pope also visited the art exhibition in the prison.

It explores the daily lives of the prisoners through the work of ten different artists – the Vatican’s entry for this year’s Biennale art festival.

This was the first time a pope had visited the prestigious festival, which started last weekend.

Francis also addressed some 1,500 young people who gathered outside the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, arriving by speedboat at the landmark church at the entrance to the Grand Canal.

He encouraged them to get involved in the world, despite everyone being “alone with their cell phones, glued to social media and video games.”

“You have to fearlessly go against the grain – take life into your hands, get involved, turn off the TV and open the Gospel, leave the cell phone behind and meet people!” he said.

In December, a bout of bronchitis forced the pope to cancel a trip to Dubai, where he was due to address United Nations climate talks.

He also withdrew from an Easter event at the last minute in March after suffering for several weeks from what the Vatican called a “mild flu.”

– Asia trip –

The visit of Francis, who returned to Rome in the early afternoon, is the fourth papal visit to Venice, after those of Paul VI (1972), Jean-Paul II (1985) and Benedict XVI (2011).

The diocese of Venice, with 125 parishes, is one of the largest in Italy and has close ties with the papacy.

Three patriarchs from Venice became popes in the 20th century.

Francis, who uses a wheelchair, has had increasing health problems in recent years, from knee pain to surgery on his colon and a hernia.

Despite the Pope’s health problems, the Vatican is planning an ambitious 12-day trip to Asia for him in September, visiting Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore.

To this end, the Pope will visit the Italian cities of Verona and Trieste in May and July respectively.

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