Friday, January 17, 2014

With the florists

At 12:00 noon today, in the Sala Clementina at the Vatican Apostolic Palace, His Holiness, Pope Francis met with members of the Apostolic Floreria, the Vatican Florists, who are responsible for the physical setup required for all papal events within the Vatican, along with members of their respective families.


Address of His Holiness, Pope Francis
with members of the Apostolic Floreria

I extend a cordial greeting to you and your families.

In this month I have come to realize how precious your work truly is. It mainly concerns the logistical preparation of the audiences and the celebrations in the Vatican Basilica, in St. Peter’s Square, in the Paul VI Audience Hall, in the Apostolic Palace and in the other Papal Basilicas. The organization of the environments for the various meetings of the Pope with the pilgrims, as well as the various activities of the Holy See, is indispensable work: that of creating welcoming places and functional instruments.

Your activities, which also include the ordinary maintenance of the Vatican accommodations, is challenging and requires a spirit of sacrifice and a lot of patience. I think, for example, of the task of setting up thousands of chairs every week for the pilgrims who come to the General Audience; as well as working in your various workshops. I thank you with all my heart for the care, the professionalism and the disposition in which you carry out your work. I encourage you to persevere in faithfulness to your duties and to maintaining among yourselves a climate of serenity, of reciprocal trust and kindness. This style of life and work will return in benefits to the entire working community of the Vatican.

With these hopes, I invoke upon you and on your families the protection of Saint Joseph the Worker and with affection I impart upon you my blessing.

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