Pope Francis to meet 500 Italian children from deprived backgrounds

(Vatican Radio)  A special train will arrive inside the Vatican City State this Saturday carrying  500 children from poor neighbourhoods of Rome and Naples for a meeting with Pope Francis.   Organised by the Courtyard of the Gentiles, the initiative also involves the participation of Italy’s  Education ministry that helped choose from which schools the children, all aged between 9 and 10, would be chosen.  The children all hail from deprived areas of  the cities of Naples or Rome where many kids risk dropping out of school at an early age.  The 500 children will begin their day visiting St Peter’s Basilica before meeting the Pope at 12.30 and then afterwards will visit Rome’s Colosseum monument.