Pope Francis on Thursday
blasted fear mongering in his message for the 2016 World Day of
Migrants and Refugees.
"Public opinion also needs to be correctly formed, not
least to prevent unwarranted fears and speculations detrimental
to migrants," the Argentine pontiff said in the message.
"Migrants are our brothers and sisters in search of a
better life, far away from poverty, hunger, exploitation and the
unjust distribution of the planet's resources which are meant to
be equitably shared by all".
The pope has frequently called for Europe to show
compassion and solidarity in dealing with the refugee crisis.
And he is trying to lead by example.
Last month Francis called on all European Catholic
parishes to host at least one family of refugees.
The Vatican itself is hosting a four-member family of
Syrian refugees from Damascus and plans to give sanctuary to
another.
Monsignor Giancarlo Perego, the director of the Italian
Catholic Church's Migrantes foundation, said Thursday religious
structures hosted 10,000 asylum seekers in Italy last year.
He said that figure will go up to 22,000 this year,
accounting for one in four of the people to be received in
Italy.
"The tragic stories of millions of men and women daily
confront the international community as a result of the outbreak
of unacceptable humanitarian crises in different parts of the
world," the pope said.
"Indifference and silence lead to complicity whenever we
stand by as people are dying of suffocation, starvation,
violence and shipwreck.
"Whether large or small in scale, these are always
tragedies, even when a single human life is lost...
"Today's refugees are fleeing from these aberrant crimes,
and they appeal to the Church and the human community to ensure
that, in the outstretched hand of those who receive them, they
can see the face of the Lord, 'the Father of mercies and God of
all consolation'".
The pope chose 'Migrants and Refugees Challenge Us. The
Response of the Gospel of Mercy' as the theme of 2016 World Day
of Migrants and Refugees, which will take place on January 17.
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