The nascent Kingdom of Italy declared Rome as its capital on 3 February 1871, soon after the city fell to the Italian forces led by Giuseppe Garibaldi. This spelled an end to papal control over Rome and the papal states. Pope Francis called the proclamation of Rome as Italy’s capital “a providential event, which led to polemics and problems at the time. But it changed Rome, Italy, and the Church herself: a new story began.”
He also recalled the Second Vatican Council – held between 1962 and 1965 – during which Rome “shone as a universal, Catholic, and ecumenical place” as it welcomed hundreds of Council Fathers, ecumenical observers, and experts. The third event Pope Francis mentioned was a conference held in February 1974 by the Diocese regarding the “evils afflicting Rome”.
Participants in that meeting sought to help the Church listen to the poor and the peripheries. The lesson, said Pope Francis, is that “the city must be a home for all.”
The Pope encouraged Rome’s residents and politicians to see their city through the eyes of those who arrive seeking a better life. “Rome is a great resource for humanity. Rome is a city of unique beauty.” And the city, he said, must be renewed both “in openness to the world and in the inclusion of all.”
Finally, Pope Francis said the Eternal City “will promote unity and peace in the world, in the measure she is able to become a fraternal city.” Vatican News Department
