As a way to help prisoners in Regina Coeli and Rebibbia, two prisons in Rome, Pope Francis sent 15,000 ice creams to calm them down during the days when Italy faced one of the hottest summers ever recorded
In a statement, the Vatican said the Pope's charity office "did not go on holiday" this summer. Instead of vacations, Vatican volunteers spent their time "continuing to devote themselves, among other things, to two of the seven acts of mercy: visiting prisoners and comforting the bereaved."
The donation was one of several "small evangelical gestures" made over the summer "to help and give hope to thousands of people in Rome prisons," the statement said.
In June of this year, about 20 inmates from the Rebibbia prison met with the Pope before joining him on a visit to the Vatican Museums.
The charity office also took small groups of homeless people "to the sea or the lake ... for a quiet afternoon and dined at a pizzeria".
In addition, the Vatican has provided free tests for Covid-19 and vaccinations for the homeless in Rome and those in poverty.
