Pope Francis visited the slums of Rio de Janeiro on Thursday, urging the country’s leaders to work against corruption and giving encouraging words to the area’s youth.
The pope spoke to residents of the Varginha slum, or favela, and blessed the new altar at a church in the community, reports the BBC. He hugged and kissed those who gathered around him.
Francis, who is in Brazil for the Catholic World Youth Day festival, encouraged the slum’s youth not to despair.
“You, dear young people, possess a special sensitivity to injustices, but many times you become disillusioned with news about corruption of people who instead of pursuing the common good, seek personal gain,” he said, according to Bloomberg. “Never get discouraged, don’t lose confidence, don’t let it extinguish your hope. Reality can change.”
He has expressed some disappointment with leaders in Brazil and the lack of help given to the poor.
“I would like to make an appeal to those in possession of greater resources, to public authorities and to all people of good will who are working for social justice,” Francis said, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“Never tire of working for a more just world, marked by greater solidarity. No one can remain insensitive to the inequalities that persist in the world,” he continued.
Varginha is one of Rio de Janeiro’s poorest and most violent slums, sometimes nicknamed the Gaza Strip. The pope insisted that a visit to a poor neighborhood be included in his trip to Brazil.
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