This morning, in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Francis received in audience a group of children suffering from cancer from the Oncology Clinic of Wrocław, Poland.

The following is the impromptu greeting the Pope addressed to those present:

Greeting of the Holy Father

Thank you for the visit! I am happy to see you and to greet you. Many thanks.

Your path in life is a bit difficult, dear children, because you need to get better, defeat your illness or live with your illness: this is not easy. But you have many friends, many friends who help you a lot. And also your relatives help you to go ahead. Think well about this: there is no difficulty in life that cannot be overcome. Victory is different for each person: each person wins in his own way, but the ideal is always to win, and the prospective is to go ahead. Do not be discouraged.

And then, another thing: the Lord gave a guardian angel to each one of us, from when we were small until we are elderly. The Lord gave this to us to help us in life. Each one of you has one. Get used to talking with your guardian angel, so that he will protect you, give you inspiration and lead you always to win in life.

And to you who are accompanying these children: thank you! Thank you because you care for these children, you help them to grow.

You have seen that you are very important, because to listen to and speak with the Pope you need two interpreters: you are important!

Now I would like to give you my blessing and then greet you; but first let us pray to Our Lady, a Hail Mary in Polish.

[Hail Mary…]

[Blessing]