The plight of refugees fleeing wars and other inhuman situations has always been present in my prayer, and yours,” the Pope said to a crowd of thousands in Saint Peter’s Square.
“In particular, Greece and other countries that are on the front line are offering them generous assistance,” he said, “which requires the cooperation of all nations.”
In reference to recent debates regarding the “equitable” relocation of migrants throughout EU nations, the Pope said that “a unified response can be effective and distribute the weight evenly. For this we need to focus firmly and unreservedly on the negotiations.”
Francis also spoke approvingly of the news regarding “the cessation of hostilities in Syria,” and he invited his hearers to pray so that “this window of opportunity can give relief to the suffering people, encouraging the necessary humanitarian aid, and open the way to dialogue and much desired peace.”
Last September, the Pope made news by urging all Catholic institutions in Europe to take in one refugee family, beginning with his own diocese of Rome, and called the request “a concrete gesture in preparation for the Holy Year of Mercy.”
“Faced with the tragedy of tens of thousands of refugees fleeing from death by war and hunger,” Francis said, “the Gospel calls us, asks us to be ‘neighbors’ to the smallest and abandoned.”
Last week, Poland’s Foreign Minister accused Italy’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi of “blackmail,” after Renzi proposed cutting EU funding for Eastern European countries that refuse to take in immigrants.
Tags: National Security, Breitbart London, Immigration, Europe Migrant Crisis, Vatican, Pope Francis, Catholic Church, refugees, Viktor Orbán, Matteo Renzi, Marco Marin
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