Pope condemns 'scorn for Gypsies'

(ANSA) - Vatican City, June 5 - Pope Francis on Thursday spoke out against the "scorn" he's witnessed up close towards the Romani people, and urged local and national institutions to help integrate them into society, while acknowledging that Roma too must play their part. "Often Gypsies find themselves at the margins of society, and often they're seen with hostility and suspicion," said Francis at the start of a two-day conference called The Church and Gypsies: Bringing the Gospel to the Peripheries. "I remember here in Rome, I'd get on the bus, then some Gypsies would get on, and the driver would say 'everyone watch your wallets'. This is scorn. Even if it's true, this is scorn".
    Francis went on to acknowledge that "certainly the Gypsy people are also called to contribute to the common good". But he emphasized that they are "hardly involved in political, economic and civil society" and urged "local and national institutions, with the support of the international community, to come up with projects" aimed at improving their quality of life. http://popefrancisnewsapp.com/