This afternoon, Pope Francis arrived shortly before 16.00 in the parish of San Giuseppe al Trionfale in order to meet with around seventy priests of the diocese of Rome, ordained over forty years ago.

Upon arrival he greeted those who were waiting for him at the entrance to the Church, and walked along the nave up to the hall where the meeting took place.

After the prayer recited together and the greeting from Bishop Di Tolve, Pope Francis addressed some words to those present, thanking them for their welcome and urging them to be “witnesses of memory”, which must be joined with youthful courage, and to go forward together.

The conversation between the priests and the Pope addressed pastoral themes and commitment in the diocese and the parishes of Rome, and the Pope emphasized the value of the work of the parish priest and the street priest, and the importance of leading the flock with gentleness: “When people see the gentleness of the pastor, they approach”.

The dialogue touched on themes of acceptance, the Sacrament of Confession, listening and forgiveness, as well as the work in shrines in the diocese.

Some difficulties also emerged regarding the most elderly priests: loneliness after years of life in among the people, the struggle to cope with change, bitterness, sometimes to be overcome with prayer, the memory of the Lord's love and the sense of sonship with Our Lady. Pope Francis emphasized on several occasions the value of the relationship between elderly and young priests: ‘Let them discuss, it is life, and move forward together’ because - the Pope added – “grandparents must remain in the family”.

At the end of the almost two-hour conversation, Pope Francis expressed his thanks for the dialogue, urging those present not to tire, to pray and to accompany the churches.

After greeting the priests individually, the Pope stopped in the church with the approximately seventy First Communion children, a hundred children from the nearby Saint Joseph’s School, and a group of about a hundred faithful.

Afterwards, he returned to the Vatican by car.