In the second of his “Mercy Friday” gestures, Pope Francis spent two hours with a group of young adults at a Catholic-run residential drug rehabilitation centre outside Rome last week. To the surprise of the 55 residents, Pope Francis showed up in his compact Ford Escort at the San Carlo community with just a driver. Roberto Mineo, president of the Italian Solidarity Centre, which runs the facility said: “We were speechless when we saw the car with the Pope enter our community where every day our young people fight their battle to return to life. “The Pope, like a caring father, spent a long time with each person, listening to their stories and embracing them one by one. Some of the young people showed him photos of their families, their children, and the Pope had a word of hope and a blessing for each of them.” Using tiny photos of past and present community members, the residents had made a mosaic of Our Lady of Lujan, patroness of Argentina, and asked Pope Francis to sign it, which he did “with affection and friendship”. Sitting in a large circle, Pope Francis learned that one of their therapeutic projects is learning how to cook. “What is the best thing you make?” the Pope asked. Their response was not reported by those present, but at break time they shared with Pope Francis some of their cheese pizza, made from scratch. Archbishop Rino Fisichella, organiser of the Vatican’s Year of Mercy events, said Pope Francis chose the drug rehab centre as a follow-up to his visit to Mexico where he repeatedly denounced drug traffickers.