When Benedict XVI visits a Roman prison he follows suit...
When Pope Benedict XVI visits the inmates of the Roman prison of Rebibbia on Sunday
he'll be following in the footsteps of his predecessors to the See of Peter, among
whom Blessed John XXIII. It was Christmas 1958 .
Veronica Scarisbrick steps
back in time to that moving moment, by bringing you the voice of prisoners as they
cheer and drown out the voice of John XXIII standing in their midst offering
them words of comfort:" ...when you write home, he said, be sure to tell your families
the pope has been to see you. You couldn't come to see me so I came to see you.."
The
novelty of this event made headlines but it wasn't just because this marked the first
time a Roman Pontiff visited a prison , it was more his manner with the prisoners
that struck home: " I know it's tough", he said on this occasion, " ... one of my
own cousins ended up here too."
Listen to this programme in which we bring
you exclusive sound of Pope John's voice speaking to prisoners as well as the personal
testimonies of some of those who witnessed this moving event, viewed by many as an
act of restoration of some of the pastoral dimensions of the papacy.