Pope calls for solidarity with migrants in Bologna

(ANSA) - Vatican City, October 2 - Pope Francis continued his drive for migrants and refugees to be welcomed with "open arms" during a visit to the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna on Sunday, where he visited the cities of Cesena and Bologna.
    In Bologna the Argentine pontiff met around 1,000 people staying at a reception centre for asylum seekers.
    "In you, as in every stranger who knocks at our door, I see Jesus Christ, who identifies himself with the stranger of every age and condition, accepted or rejected," the pope said.
    "I want to carry with me your faces that are asking to be remembered, helped, I'd say 'adopted', because in the end you look out for someone who bets on you, gives you confidence and helps you find that future for which you have hoped and arrived here." Calling the migrants "fighters of hope," he encouraged the migrants to work hard and follow the laws of the land.