Pope to dine with poor during Christmas season

(Dec.15, 2009): On the feast of the Holy Family later this month, Pope Benedict XVI will dine at a soup kitchen run by the Community of Sant'Egidio in Rome. The Vatican press office announced on Monday that the Pope will arrive at 1 p.m. on Dec. 27 to share a meal with the poor, who will gather at the community’s center. The soup kitchen of the Sant'Egidio Community has received more than 100,000 people and served 2.2 million meals since it opened in 1998.
The Vatican press office also revealed that Pope Benedict will visit the Don Luigi Di Liegro hostel run by Caritas-Rome on Feb.14. The center was opened 20 years ago to provide overnight shelter for homeless people at Rome’s main Terminal railway station. On that occasion, the Pontiff will also visit the nearby health center and soup kitchen .