Before his death, Pope Francis made the decision to bequeath almost all of his personal savings to a juvenile detention center in Rome, according to sources close to the Vatican.
The facility, located in the Casal del Marmo district, had long been close to the pontiff’s heart. It was there that, just days after his election in 2013, he celebrated Holy Thursday Mass and washed the feet of young detainees — a symbolic act that profoundly marked his papacy.
According to initial reports, Pope Francis instructed that the majority of his modest personal estate — estimated at around €110,000 — be used to fund education programs, vocational training, and psychological support for young inmates.
A Vatican source told L’Osservatore Romano that this gesture reflects “the deep coherence between the Pope’s words and actions,” and his “untiring commitment to the most marginalized.”
The remainder of his estate will be distributed among a few close relatives and a fund dedicated to supporting migrants, another cause particularly dear to the late Pope.
This final act of generosity crowns a pontificate characterized by a constant call for humility, fraternity, and attention to the forgotten of the world.