POPE RECEIVES ATLETICA VATICANA CYCLISTS, SIGNS BIKE TO BE AUCTIONED FOR CHARITY
(From Holy See Press Office) – Pope Francis received in audience this morning the cyclists of Athletica Vaticana who, in recent days, participated in the cycling world championships in Glasgow.
In particular, the Pope signed the bicycle – donated by Pinarello – with which Rien Schuurhuis raced the World Championship last Sunday. It will be auctioned off to support the work of the Vatican’s Santa Marta pediatric dispensary in favor of 500 poor families with small children. The modalities of the solidarity auction will be announced in the coming days by Athletica Vaticana.
The cyclists of “his” team told Francis about their experience at the World Cup, lived in communion with World Youth Day in Lisbon.
Beginning with the “Gran Fondo” race, reserved for amateurs, Rino Alberto Bellapadrona and Marcus Bergmann pedaled together with Masomah Ali Zada, the Afghan cyclist of the Refugee Team formed by the International Cycling Union with athletes from Afghanistan, Syria and of Iran.
They also told the Pope of the embrace with the Paralympic champions and gave him a small image of the Mother of God by the poor assisted in the “Ozanam” Vincentian Center in Glasgow, met just on the eve of the race.
Joan's Rome 