Pope Francis, in Christmas Speech, Urges Nations to Tend to Refugees
Last edited Thu Dec 26, 2019, 02:48 AM - Edit history (1)
Source: NY Times
ROME -- As Christians around the world celebrated Christmas, Pope Francis called on Wednesday for a softening of "stony and self-centered hearts," once again directing the world's attention to the plight of migrants and people living in areas plagued by conflict, social and political upheaval, injustice, or natural disasters.
Addressing thousands of people gathered in St. Peter's Square, the pope spoke of the millions of people who have fled their homes for "places where they might have hope for a dignified life," only to find themselves "before walls of indifference."
Making his annual Christmas speech, Francis lamented the miseries of several trouble spots, urging the rest of the world to take responsibility for healing those places and to embrace the refugees who leave them. It has been one of the most powerful and consistent messages of his papacy, at a time when many nations have shown little interest in resolving foreign conflicts or taking in migrants and have often blamed newcomers for economic and social ills.
Delivering his "Urbi et Orbi" ("To the City and to the World) benediction from a balcony in the facade of St. Peter's Basilica, the pope asked Jesus to "bless the efforts of those who spare no effort to promote justice and reconciliation and to overcome the various crises and the many forms of poverty that offend the dignity of each person."
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/25/world/europe/pope-francis-christmas.html?action=click&module=Latest&pgtype=Homepage&fbclid=IwAR2c4eBvTc-KOjxYCYGaMQdn6G3gcvx9L3tJ-D-mDtK34ZwqAWTRDndjasE
https://angelusnews.com/news/vatican/vatican-to-welcome-asylum-seekers-to-italy/
On Thursday, the Holy See will welcome 33 refugees to Italy as they arrive from the Greek island of Lesbos with papal almoner Cardinal Konrad Krajewski. Another 10 refugees will come later in December.
The asylum seekers are from Afghanistan, Togo, and Cameroon.
The humanitarian corridor was organized at the request of Pope Francis, who in May asked the papal almoner to show the Holy See's solidarity with refugees by supporting some young people and families fleeing conflict in their countries, helping them to seek asylum in Italy.
After months of negotiation between the Office of Papal Charities and the Italian Ministry of the Interior, permission was granted to bring the group of migrants to Italy to apply for asylum, according to a statement from the Holy See charity office.
Support of the refugees will be undertaken by the Holy See through the Office of Papal Charities and by the Sant'Egidio Community, a lay Catholic movement centered on peace and helping the poor.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Which means he's doing something right.
