Accepting the invitation previously formulated by the mayor of Rome Virginia Raggi, Pope Francis went to the Capitol to meet the city council. At the end of the meeting with the Capitoline assembly, the Holy Father greeted a representation of soldiers from the Lazio Abruzzo grouping led by the "Sassari" brigade, the Army unit employed in the "Safe roads" operation with the task of guaranteeing the security of about 160 sensitive sites, mostly present in the capital, including some garrisons near the Vatican City and the papal basilicas.
"I thank Pope Francis for the simple but profound words he addressed to us military personnel", declared the commander of the “Sassari” brigade, Brigadier General Andrea Di Stasio."I am grateful to the mayor Virginia Raggi", concluded Di Stasio, "For having wanted our presence on the sidelines of the meeting, a tangible sign of perfect institutional integration, of closeness and attention to the 'Sassari' brigade and the Italian Army, which I have the honor of representing".
Greeted at his arrival on the Capitoline hill by the trumpet blasts of the faithful of Vitorchiano, the holy father was welcomed by the Rays in the area of Sisto IV. After about two hours the pontiff took leave of the mayor at the portico of Vignola. In the square of the legal service, before boarding the car that brought him back to the Vatican, the meeting with the soldiers of the "Sassari" engaged in the operation "Safe roads". It is not the first time that the Supreme Pontiff meets the Sassari brigade. The 11 April 2013, in fact, through a letter addressed to the commander of the brigade, the holy father had expressed his joy for the celebrations held in Sassari in honor of the Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of the Good Way, patroness of the Gremio of wayfarers and protector of the "Sassari".
The 22 September of the same year, on the day of its historic visit to Sardinia, the band and a group of soldiers from the brigade had greeted and welcomed Pope Francis in Cagliari. The 5 February 2014, two weeks after leaving for the peace mission in Afghanistan, a delegation from the "Sassari" brigade had met Pope Francis during the traditional Wednesday general audience in St. Peter's Square, with the band that had played "Dimonios ", The famous hymn of the" Red Devils ". The 24 September 2014 and the 10 May 2017, again on the occasion of the general audience on Wednesday held in the presence of numerous family members of the "Sassari", the pontiff had witnessed the closeness and gratitude for the work done by the soldiers of the "Sassari" under the "Safe roads" operation.
The "Sassari" brigade guarantees the security of about 160 sensitive sites, mostly present in the capital, among which are some garrisons adjacent to the Vatican City and the papal basilicas.
