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ROME (AP) - Young patients at Rome's main children's hospital have presented Pope Francis with a basket full of notes expressing their wishes, most of all to get well.
Francis spent three hours Saturday visiting patients and their families at Bambino Gesu children's hospital. He was greeted by about a dozen children, who presented him with a bouquet of white roses and a large cardboard heart.
Among the wishes was one from Diego who asked for "no more needles" and Pietro who wished "there were no more illnesses."
Francis thanked the children for their wishes and said "let's present them together to Jesus," adding "especially with you children, Jesus has a special bond."
Francis is the fifth pontiff to visit the hospital, which is controlled by the Vatican's secretary of state.
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