Pope Francis Opens Free Laundromat For Homeless

Pope Francis addresses a joint meeting of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, making history as the first pontiff to do so. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has opened a new laundromat for the homeless to wash and dry their clothing.

The laundromat, near the Vatican, has six washing machines and dryers.

On Tuesday, Ciro Guardaccione was among the first to use the new machines. He carefully placed his clothing in the washing machine and watched it spin around.

“This is a fantastic thing, I would like to thank Pope Francis for everything,” he said.

The laundromat will remain open four days a week and services are free.

Throughout his papacy Pope Francis has made an effort to reach out to the homeless in Rome. In 2015 the Vatican opened a free barber shop and showers under the Vatican Colonnade and set up a dormitory for homeless men near St. Peter’s Basilica.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

2
Show Comments

Notable Replies

  1. I bet after a short while the homeless won`t get to use it . Home owners will use it all the time .

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for bojimbo26

Continue Discussion