THE Pope Francis denounced today the “eshameful trafficking and the fanaticism of indifference” facing the fate of migrants who shipwreck in the Mediterranean and who “must be saved”stressing that preventing such rescues is “a gesture of hatred“, on the first day of his visit to Marseillein southeastern France.
“We can no longer witness the shipwreck tragedies caused by the shameful illegal trafficking and fanaticism of indifferences. People who are at risk of drowning when abandoned in the waves must be rescued. It is the duty of humanity, it is the duty of civilization,” insisted the Pope, who has often denounced the fate of immigrants since his election ten years ago.
“We are at a crossroads: on one side brotherhood, on the other indifference, which is bleeding the Mediterranean. We are at a crossroads of civilizations,” the head of the Roman Catholic Church stressed, complaining “the paralysis of fear“, during an interfaith ceremony in front of a monument dedicated to sailors and migrants lost at sea, near the iconic Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica, the patron saint of France’s second largest city.
“The faithful must be an example of mutual and fraternal reception“, stressed Francis, appealing for the reception of the exiles, surrounded by representatives of other religions, with whom he observed a few minutes of silence.
“In the face of such a drama, words are useless, only actions“, the Pontiff explained, once again expressing his regret that the Mediterranean has become “a huge cemetery where human dignity is buried there”: “But before that, humanity is needed”, he added.
Welcoming the Pope, the Cardinal Archbishop of Marseille Jean-Marc Avelin denounced for his part “the crime” of preventing non-governmental organizations from helping migrants in danger at sea. After him, the Pope praised the work of humanitarian aid workers.
Pope Francis arrived in Marseille today for a two-day visit focused on the Mediterranean and migration, amid increased hostility in Europe towards would-be migrants.
Upon landing his plane in the afternoon, the head of the Roman Catholic Church was received by French Prime Minister Elizabeth Bourne.
While seated in a wheelchair, Francis stood during the playing of the national anthems before smiling at the dignitaries present.
“We have little time, but so much to do in this city that is a gateway, a window to the Mediterranean,” he told reporters accompanying him on the plane, denouncing once again the terrible lack of humanity displayed in this sea.
Francis during his visit is expected to defend the issue of immigrants and denounce, as he has often done since his election in 2013, hate speech and policies of closing borders.
His stay in the city comes after a new wave of arrivals on the Italian island of Lampedusa prompted the European Union to adopt an emergency plan to help Rome manage flows from North Africa, a migration route that has become most dangerous worldwide.
The visit is taking place under tight security, with nearly 6,000 law enforcement personnel deployed as well as an “unusually large security apparatus”, according to a senior police official.
More than 28,000 people have gone missing in the Mediterranean since 2014, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). “The largest cemetery in the world,” the Pope laments repeatedly.
Source: News Beast
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