In his quest towards ensuring the Catholic Church supports the poor and the needy, Pope Francis invited a homeless street vendor for an intimate meeting at the Vatican.
Dutch street paper seller Marc, 51, who sells Straatnieuws in Utrecht, was the lucky vendor to visit the Pope last month. Francis told him: “I want a world without poverty. We need to fight for that.
Marc said: “It was so brilliant that he made the time for me and he thanked me for making such a long journey to meet with him. He thought about my questions so calmly. He took me seriously, that was really great. He is such a kind, wise but also humorous man. We had a really good laugh!”
Explaining why he chose to grant this rare interview to street papers, Pope Francis said: “I want a world without poverty. We need to fight for that.”
The papal interview coincides with the celebrations to mark the 500th edition of the INSP News Service. For the last decade, INSP has been providing free editorial content to street papers, building their capacity and quality, and enhancing vendors’ sales.
INSP Chief Executive Maree Aldam added: “We are delighted that Pope Francis has given this exclusive interview, which will feature in street papers around the world. It was also a very exciting opportunity for Straatnieuws vendor Marc to travel to Rome to meet the Pope.
The interview will be available for UK readers in the Big Issue on November 9.
