While in Philladelphia, Pope Francis met with men and women in jail, where he encouraged the inmates to change their lives. Dean Meminger reports.
PHILADELPHIA - The pope and prisoners hugged in Philadelphia.
Pope Francis told 100 inmates that despite their circumstances, they must try to move forward in a positive manner while behind bars.
"This time in your life can only have one purpose: to give you a hand on getting you back on the right road. To try and give you a hand to rejoin society," he said through an interpreter. "All of us are part of that effort."
Pope Francis spoke to the inmates, men and women, for about 15 minutes. Then, he shook their hands, and gave embraces and blessings.
During prison visits around the world, Francis has washed the feet of detainees to show he welcomes them back into society. Although he didn't conduct that ritual in Philly, he did say everyone must work together to get inmates away from a life of crime.
"Any society, any family which can not share or take seriously the pain of its children, and views that pain as something normal or to be expected, is a society condemned to remain a hostage to itself," he said through an interpreter.
Prisoners here built the chair Francis used during his visit. He thanked them and gave a thumbs up for it.
The pope also met with correction workers while urging officials to improve conditions.
"It is painful when we see prison systems which are not concerned to care for wounds, to soothe pain, to offer new possibilities," he said through an interpreter.
I had the opportunity to meet some of the inmates the pope spoke with as they prepared for the pontiff's visit.
"It's big opportunity because it doesn't matter what your religion is, but as long as you're in the surroundings of the pope, everything's going to be OK," said inmate Albert Tillson.
Many hope the pope's message will be forever lasting for the prisoners.