Pope Turns Palace Into Homeless Shelter

Pope Francis is practicing what he preaches in Rome, where a 19th-century palace owned by the Vatican has been turned into a homeless shelter. The pontiff rejected plans to convert the Palazza Migliori, which is just off St. Peter's Square, into a luxury hotel for Vatican visitors, reports the Irish Post. Instead, it now has room for 50 poor or homeless Romans in 16 dormitories. After the religious order that had been using the building moved to a new location, Francis said he wanted it to become a "palace for the poor." "Even if they wanted to use it for charity, a lot of people would have rented this place out, make a lot of money, and give it to the poor,” volunteer Sharon Christner says. "But what is special about this place is that it’s not about maximizing dollar signs, but giving people a really beautiful place to be, with the idea that beauty heals." (More Pope Francis stories.)