Pope visits earthquake-stricken Italian city

Pope Francis on Sunday visited the central Italian city of L'Aquila, devastated by an earthquake in 2009, to celebrate the Feast of Forgiveness.

After visiting the reconstruction site of L'Aquila Cathedral, he met local authorities and the families of the victims of the earthquake in the square in front of the Cathedral, praising the resilient personality of L'Aquila citizens.

As the reconstruction is still undergoing, the pope urged people work together to rebuild not only infrastructure and material damage, but also to engage in "the spiritual, cultural and social reconstruction of the community."