Fifty prisoners from a jail in Rome have been given the red-carpet treatment by Pope Francis, who arranged for them to tour the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel earlier this month. Italian press reports say that the inmates were given a guided tour of the museums by the director, Antonio Paolucci. One of the prisoners, Carmine, told Vatican Radio that “we were warmly welcomed, which is strange for us as society treats us with suspicion”. A special gathering for prisoners, part of the Pope’s Jubilee Year of Mercy, is planned for November next year.
