Pope Benedict XVI visits soup kitchen in Rome and dedicates it to Pope John
Paul II

(04 Jan. 2007) : Pope Benedict XVI visited a soup kitchen on Thursday in Rome to bless it and dedicate it to his predecessor, Pope John Paul II. Pope Benedict then addressed a few hundred people gathered in a nearby courtyard, saying love and charity bring great joy. The pontiff also blessed a plaque which bore the name of Pope John Paul II. The late Pope visited the same soup kitchen 14 years ago in1992 and shared tea with several people, including a Somali man who had been attacked and set ablaze by skinhead youths. At that time Pope John Paul had urged people to repudiate racism and xenophobia.