Pope Francis visited Marseille in France and met with President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte. The Pope is the first pope to visit the city in 500 years.
Photo: EFE – Sebastien Nogier / POOL
Pope Francis visited Marseille, France, to attend a meeting of young people and bishops from Mediterranean countries. There he called on European governments to show more solidarity with the migrants arriving on their shores.
“He who risks his life at sea is not an intruder,” the pope said.
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This Saturday, the religious described migration as “a reality of our time” that must be addressed with “wise foresight” and a response from Europe. He called on governments to allow regular and legal entry for migrants, especially those “fleeing war, hunger and poverty.”
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He also called on those in power not to allow themselves to be infected by the “fanaticism of indifference” and the “paralysis of fear” in this migration crisis. The day before, the Pope said it was a duty to rescue people across the Mediterranean.
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“There is a cry of pain that resonates above everything and that transforms the Mediterranean, the Mare Nostrum, the cradle of civilization, into the Mare Mortuum, the cemetery of dignity: it is the suppressed cry of the brothers and sisters of migrants,” he said said. .
The pope has previously been criticized by right-wing European governments for defending migrants. Many administrations in the region have decided to tighten their immigration policies due to the crisis in the migration centers, where more and more people are fleeing social conflicts in their countries of origin every day.
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With the number of people arriving on the Italian island of Lampedusa increasing, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni promised to reduce the number of migrants through restrictive measures. Likewise, the governments of France and Poland have increased surveillance at their borders and said they would deport people who do not meet asylum criteria.
Francis is the first pope in 500 years to visit Marseille, France’s second largest city. In addition to taking part in the meeting with young people and bishops, he met privately with French President Emmanuel Macron, who also saw him off at the airport.
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