A Brazilian slum welcomes Pope Francis
The leader of the Catholic Church defies security concerns to walk through an area known locally as the "Gaza Strip"
In the highly documented first foreign trip of his papacy, Pope Francis has been touring Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this week in honor of World Youth Day. The fourth day of his trip brought him to Varginha, a notorious slum that is colloquially referred to as the "Gaza Strip," in reference to its high levels of violence. Despite Varginha's extreme poverty and unrest — not to mention the day's heavy rain — its residents arrived in droves to greet the Catholic Church's highest leader.
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