Pope Francis states that his task is difficult while in Venice

The 87-year-old pope acknowledged that life may be difficult during his busy visit to Venice on Sunday, which marked his first departure from Rome in seven months. The tour included an art show, a visit to a jail, and a Mass.

Due to his recent bouts of illness, the pope spent his five-hour visit in a wheelchair, golf buggy, and motor launch, reading three speeches and delivering a homily.

He talked clearly and looked well, but he also acknowledged, in a rare move, the pressures of the job.

Telling the hundreds of worshippers assembled in St Mark’s Square, “Please pray for me because this work is not easy,”

He began the day by taking a helicopter into a women’s jail to see an exhibition organized by the Vatican as part of the Venice Biennale, an esteemed international art event that has never had a pope visit.

Francis has frequently urged society to support the underprivileged and neglected, including those incarcerated, and the unique choice to locate the Holy See pavilion inside a jail brought this point home.

“Life behind bars is harsh, and issues like violence, overcrowding, and a lack of resources and facilities lead to a lot of suffering.” But on Sunday, he reminded the prisoners and security personnel, “It can also turn into a place of moral and material rebirth.”

Before he met some of the artists who assembled the “Through My Eyes” show, he said, “Let us not forget that we all have mistakes to be forgiven and wounds to heal.”

Then, in front of the Santa Maria della Salute basilica, Francis spoke to a group of young Venetians, encouraging them to help others instead of spending their lives hooked to their cellphones.

“If we always focus on our self, our needs, and what we lack, we will always find ourselves back at the starting point, crying over ourselves with a long face,” he stated.