Pope Francis' legacy: Sheltering the unhoused in the Vatican

Behind the gleaming columns of Palazzo Migliori, four men wait on a terrace for their dinner. In 2020, the 19th-century palace opposite St. Peter's Basilica was repurposed as a shelter for unhoused people. Under the direction of the late Pope Francis, the Vatican installed public washing facilities by St. Peter's Square, among other things, to help those living on the streets.

Shortly after his election in 2013, Pope Francis said he wanted the Catholic Church to be "for the poor." He used his papacy to repeatedly draw attention to marginalized people and revolutionized the Vatican with initiatives to integrate them. As cardinal, before becoming Pope Francis, he was known in his native Buenos Aires as the "slum bishop," as he would often visit poor neighborhoods.

Before passing, Pope Francis asked that representatives of vulnerable social groups — such as people who were poor, unhoused, migrants, prisoners, or transgender — played a prominent role in his funeral. Antonino Siracusa, 68, was one of those selected to accompany the late pope on his final journey. "We're going to miss everything," the shelter worker said. "He has done so much for the poor."

This is Vatican hospitality: 66-year-old Mauro Ribuffi is waiting outside a shelter run by Sant'Egidio, a lay Catholic community dedicated to social service. Founded in 1968, the network is now present in more than 70 countries. It coordinates thousands of volunteers who serve a wide clientele of people in need, whether due to poverty, illness, marginalization, loneliness or conflict.

Starting in 2017, Pope Francis would celebrate World Day of the Poor by sharing a meal with some of Rome's poorest — often exceeding 1,000 at a time. He notably called hunger a "global scandal" and called out indifferent behavior to the suffering of others. "We cannot look the other way and pretend this does not exist," he said. "The food available in the world is enough to feed everyone."

Savile Piro, who is unhoused and sleeps on the streets of the Vatican, said that Pope Francis "always thought of us" during his twelve years in office. "He has always given to us. The showers that are here — he created them. The clinic — he created it." Established in 2015, the Mother of Mercy free clinic offers medical care to those in need under the colonade of St. Peter's Square.

When a pope dies, almost all top Vatican officials lose their positions. One of the few exceptions will be the Apostolic Almoner Konrad Krajewski, tasked with coordinating a pope's charitable work. The Polish cleric made the headlines — and displeased the Italian government at the time — when he climbed down a manhole in 2019 to restore the power to hundreds sheltering in an occupied building.

The electoral body of cardinals is currently gathering to choose a successor to Pope Francis from among their ranks. This secretive and complex process is known as the conclave. Savile Piro says he doesn't care much where the new pope comes from: "Many say that there will be a Black pope. Many say, 'let's hope he's Italian.' I say, 'let's hope he's a good pope.' That's enough."