On the World Day for Awareness on Autism, Pope Francis did not want to lack his closeness to autistic people and to all those who work every day to bring out uniqueness and respect for them.
On 1 April, the Holy Father granted a special audience to the Italian Foundation for Autism, the organization to which the associations and bodies representing the world of relatives of autistic people, autism services and of scientific research.
Our BreakCotto colleagues also participated in this exciting moment and at the end of the audience they distributed lunch to the poor in Pope Francis’ canteen.
A sign of gratitude for the welcome and sensitivity shown towards issues related to autism. A message of hope, in a moment of great difficulty and tension, for a world capable of welcoming instead of excluding. In Italy, according to the latest estimates, one in 77 children, between the ages of 7 and 9, has an autism spectrum disorder.
Since 2007, the United Nations General Assembly has established World Autism Awareness Day on April 2. The evening of April 2 will therefore see the most important Italian monuments light up in blue to inform the population about the issues of autism. On this day, in 2022, the awareness and fundraising campaign #sfidAutismo22 of the Italian Foundation for Autism returns.