I’ve never heard of something like this before.
From Vatican Insider:
“This is a gift for you from the Pope on the occasion of his birthday,” volunteers and Swiss Guards were quoted as saying to hundreds of homeless people, as they handed out batches of sleeping bags to them yesterday. The sleeping bags were distributed on a minibus, which left the Vatican at 6 pm and went around Rome looking for homeless people who needed them. The quality bags had a hood and carried the papal ensign.