ROME — Pope Francis’ recent hospitalization prompted a flood of mail via the Italian Postal Service, Poste Italiane. Letters and drawings addressed to the Holy Father have been filled with love and support from all around the world.

With the Holy Father’s March 23 discharge from Gemelli Hospital following 38 days of in-patient care for double pneumonia, employees at the mail sorting center near Fiumicino Airport have been busy redirecting this correspondence straight to the Vatican.

Each day, they see a staggering scale of human outreach.

“In recent times, since our Holy Father has been hospitalized at Gemelli, we have been recording an increase in the volume of correspondence, both from within the country and from abroad, reaching a daily total of up to 150 kilograms [330 pounds],” Antonello Chidichimo, director of the Fiumicino sorting center, explained to EWTN News Nightly.

Usually, the Pope receives about 100 letters a week. But in recent weeks, he has received several thousand every day.

Handwritten letters are a disappearing art, so receiving them today is much more intentional and holds deeper meaning, especially when they are written with little hands.

“One of the things we have noticed while sorting through this correspondence is that many letters are written by children,” Chidichimo said. “So, with some surprise, we imagine that, in general, a young person, a child, would use more advanced technological means. Yet returning to the use of paper always has a special charm.”

The letters have not gone unnoticed by the Pope.

On the 10th day of his hospitalization, the Holy Father thanked the faithful for their closeness and consoling prayers, saying: “I have recently received many messages of affection, and I have been particularly struck by the letters and drawings from children."

For the postal workers, it’s a special responsibility to ensure each message of support and prayer reaches its destination.

“With this increase in volume and correspondence addressed to the Pope, all the workers feel a great sense of pride and passion,” said Chidichimo.

As Pope Francis makes his journey of recovery amid familiar surroundings, messages of support continue to pour into the Vatican.

Post offices all around Rome are keeping up with the high demand to ensure that this simple yet powerful act of connection remains uninterrupted, allowing expressions of solidarity and love to reach the Holy Father.

Zofia Czubak is an EWTN News intern based in Rome. This report was adapted from EWTN News Nightly.

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