Fidelity to Christ is the "secret" to every effective work of Christian charity, so every activity of outreach to the poor and suffering should be supported by prayer, Pope Francis has said.

Celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Circolo di San Pietro, a charitable association founded to support the Pope and serve the poor, the Francis focused on the group's motto, which is "prayer, action, sacrifice".

The group was among the first in Rome to run soup kitchens, food and clothing banks and homeless shelters. During World War I and World War II, the association fed thousands of Romans each day, serving more than four million meals annually during some of those years.