Pope Francis opens the Vatican to the homeless

Pope Francis has opened the Vatican to the homeless, providing them with sleeping accommodations. The number of homeless there has doubled in the past six months as the Pontiff makes a difference in the lives of so many people.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Homeless people are migrating to the Vatican to spend each night in sleeping bags donated by the Church. The homeless have been welcomed into the Vatican and given sleeping bags to keep warm at night.

Last year Pope Francis had showers installed for these people and now they are arriving at the Vatican each day, a place where they say they are not judged or spat upon as across Rome.

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Rome has a homeless population of about 3,000 to 4,000 people according to unofficial estimates and many of those people may eventually find their way to St. Peter's square. Pope Francis has pledged to restore dignity to these persons by providing for their needs, all without judging them.

Police officials say that the population of homeless in the area around Vatican City has also grown by about 1,000 individuals. Police have been instructed to leave the homeless alone. Police say the homeless around the Vatican don't create problems and that they move throughout the day.

Pope Francis has declared his intention to make the Catholic Church a poor church for the poor. He is rumored to have gone into the streets personally to distribute alms. His almsgiver makes trips into the city on a nightly basis to distribute money and other necessities to the homeless and poor.

Many Christians would sooner judge the homeless and poor, accusing them of deserving their fate, often the result of bad choices, criminal records or drugs. Despite these flaws, Pope Francis has not judged them and instead welcomes them. He gives them what they need and sees that none go cold or hungry.

The Holy Father is modeling the behavior of Christ for the world. God is the sole judge of man and will decide the final fate of each person; it is not our place to judge people. It is wrong to declare people lazy or at fault when instead of turning away from them, we can help them.

It is a difficult thing, as Jesus noted, to help others without judgment. We are so into ourselves, our money and our own lives that we curse and chase away those in need because they have made some mistake or committed some crime that offends us.

Yet, our place is to serve others and to love one another as ourselves. God will judge the felon and those who defile themselves. He will also judge those of us who gave nothing to the poor and the homeless, for whatsoever we do for the least, we also do for Him.

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It is heartwarming to see Pope Francis live these words. Regardless of why some people are condemned to live at the fringes of society, a word of kindness, a heartwarming deed, and some faith in their essential goodness can change a heart and win a soul.

Let us join Pope Francis in helping others wherever we find them. We are our brother's keepers, let us give a better account of ourselves before God.

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