Pope Francis meets the rescuers of Mediterranea

 A delegation from Mediterranea Saving Humans met Pope Francis and Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Integral Human Development.

Accompanied by Cardinal Franco Montenegro and the archbishops of Palermo and Naples, Corrado Lorefice and Mimmo Battaglia, Mediterranea wanted to share with the Pontiff the journey it is taking with the Churches, which sees the archdioceses of Palermo and Naples as the leading of the Italian Mediterranean.

The newspaper Avvenire writes it on its website, which also publishes photos of the meeting.

The heart of the meeting "was sharing with Pope Francis what is the meeting point between the Churches and the many people of good will, coming from many worlds, even very distant from each other, who are part of Mediterranea", explained don Mattia Ferrari, chaplain of Mediterranea.

The crews of the Italian rescue platform spoke to the Pontiff "of visceral love, that love that characterizes the heart of God, the heart of Jesus and that every person is capable of feeling. That visceral love - Don Ferrari said to Pope Francis - which leads us to act in the Mediterranean and in Ukraine".

The organization, which belongs to the network of popular movements from all over the world, thanked the Pope for accompanying the Churches.

Among others, the Mediterranea delegation was made up of the president Vanessa Guidi, with Luca Casarini, Alessandro Metz, Beppe Caccia, the commander of the ship Mare Jonio, Giovanni Buscema, the head of mission Sheila Melosu, and the head of mission in Ukraine, Laura Marmorale.

At the end, a work by Igor Scalisi Palminteri, "neighborhood painter" in Palermo, was donated to the Pope.

Saint Erasmus is depicted, a fisher of men, wearing a life jacket and two oars.