In one of his final acts of mercy, Pope Francis, who passed away earlier this week, showed care for prisoners, toward whom he often expressed special affection.
Monsignor Benoni “Don Ben” Ambarus, responsible for charitable activities and care for prisoners in Rome, stated that shortly before his death, Pope Francis donated 200.000 euros from his account to a pasta factory in the juvenile prison Casal del Marmo. The donation was proposed by Ambarus himself in order to reduce the price of pasta, increase sales, and enable the employment of more juveniles in the prison.
Ambarus reminded that the Pope visited the Regina Coeli prison on Holy Thursday last week.
“I remember a tired man in fragile health, who gave all his attention to the prisoners. He fought for them until the last moment. They saw hope in him. The Father died for them,” said Ambarus.
He also criticized the judicial system for not heeding the Pope’s appeals for greater leniency and mercy toward prisoners.
It is worth noting that Pope Francis did not receive the papal salary of 30.000 euros per month, but instead regularly donated that money to various organizations, churches, and individuals in need of help.
