First trip in seven months for Pope Francis: in Venice, he warns against the dangers of overtourism during a mass

Le pape François en visite à Venise pour y rencontrer les détenues d’une prison pour femmes. MAXPPP – Alessio Marini

Le pape François, âgé de 87 ans, est à Venise, en Italie, ce dimanche 28 avril 2024, pour une rapide visite. Il s’agit de son premier déplacement hors Rome en sept mois en raison de ses problèmes de santé.

A new call for attention to our common home: Pope Francis warned this Sunday, April 28, 2024 in Venice against the impact of overtourism on tourism. rsquo;environment during a mass in front of 10,000 faithful on Saint Mark's Square.

This is the first trip of the 87-year-old Argentine pontiff outside Rome in seven months due to his state of health, a few weeks after an attack of fatigue which caused concern during the Easter holidays.

Under the sun, Jorge Bergoglio, appearing in good shape, honored a busy schedule: after a visit to a women's prison and a speech in front of young Venetians, he returned to Saint -Marc via an ephemeral bridge on the Grand Canal, escorted by a cloud of gondolas sailing on the lagoon.

A speech given to young Venetians. MAXPPP – VATICAN MEDIA HANDOUT

Citing the "enchanting beauty" of the City of the Doges, François – who made ecology a central cause of his pontificate – listed the "many problems that threaten it", including climate change, "the fragility of cultural heritage" and overtourism.

"Venice is one with the waters on which it sits, and without the care and protection of this natural setting, it might even cease to exist", he warned in his homily.

A statement that resonates with current events, as the city listed as a UNESCO world heritage site has just introduced an entry fee of five euros for day tourists in order to declutter its narrow streets and bridges spanning the canals on busiest days. For 2024, however, only 29 peak days are affected by this new tax.

"Don't give up"

As usual, the head of the Catholic Church blessed the faithful aboard a "Papamobile" original, a small white golf car bearing the Vatican coat of arms, to the cheers of the crowd.

The Pope aboard an original “Papamobile”. MAXPPP – VATICAN MEDIA/ipa-agency.net

The Pope arrived early Sunday aboard a helicopter in the courtyard of the prison on the island of Giudecca, which houses the Holy See pavilion at the 60th Biennale of ;rsquo;contemporary art of Venice, François greeted at length one by one the approximately 80 inmates, the administrative and prison staff and the volunteers.

In this former convent welcoming women sentenced to long sentences, the Bishop of Rome, sensitive to the place of the marginalized and to the prison world, urged to offer prisoners & ;quot;tools and spaces for human, spiritual, cultural and professional growth".

"Prison is a harsh reality, and problems such as overcrowding, lack of facilities and resources, violent incidents, generate so much suffering. But it can also become a place of rebirth", he said.

"Courage, and forward ! Don't give up", said the Pope after receiving a gift of products made by the inmates, several of whom appeared moved.

Away from the spotlight and the crowds, the Holy See pavilion is one of the most prominent at the prestigious art event inaugurated last week, and offers visitors an immersive experience and confusing, where the works rub shoulders with barbed wire.

In front of the artists who participated in the exhibition and leaders from the cultural world, Jorge Bergoglio insisted on the role of art in fighting against "racism, xenophobia, inequality, ecological imbalance".

"Fundamental moment"

"This is a fundamental moment for our city", Maela told AFP Pellizzato, a 64-year-old Venetian present in St. Mark's Square, came to pray "above all for peace in the world."

Before the mass, the pope also spoke to 1,500 young people gathered in front of the emblematic basilica of Santa Maria della Salute. "Get off your cell phone and go meet people!", he told them. After Paul VI (1972), John Paul II (1985) and Benedict XVI (2011), Francis is the fourth pope to visit Venice.

The Pope met with detained women. MAXPPP – VATICAN MEDIA HANDOUT

The history of the Serenissima is closely linked to that of the papacy. In the 20th century, three patriarchs of Venice became popes. After this trip, the Argentine Jesuit must make two other trips to northern Italy, to Verona in May and to Trieste in July.

Since his visit to Marseille (France) in September 2023, Jorge Bergoglio had not traveled. Bronchitis forced him to cancel his trip to Dubai in December and his general condition, increasingly fragile, forced him to avoid traveling.