By Lisa Zengarini
Meeting members of the Italian Red Cross in the Vatican, Pope Francis praises its “irreplaceable service” ensuring humanitarian protection and assistance for victims of war and other disasters.
Pope Francis met on Saturday with members of the Italian Red Cross (ICR), as they celebrate the 160th anniversary of its foundation in 1864.
In that year the Committee of the Italian Association for the Aid to the Wounded and Sick in War was established in Milan, following the foundation of the International Red Cross in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1863.
Addressing some 6,000 ICR volunteers and workers in the Paul VI Audience Hall, Pope Francis warmly thanked them for the humanitarian aid they continue to provide to those suffering war and other disasters across the world.