Francis publicly “welcomes” the first group of refugees brought from Cyprus after his visit and entrusted to the Community of Sant’Egidio. As it happened five years ago from Lesbos, when the migrants flew on the papal plane
VATICAN CITY. In my visit to Cyprus and Greece “I was able to touch once again the wounded humanity of migrants”. Pope Francis affirms this at the end of today’s general audience, the last one in view of Christmas, during which he also “noted that only some European countries are bearing most of the consequences of the migratory phenomenon in the Mediterranean area, while in reality it requires a shared responsibility of all, from which no country can exempt itself, because it is a problem of humanity ”.
The Pontiff highlights that «thanks to the generous openness of the Italian authorities, I was able to bring to Rome a group of people, whom I met during my trip: today some of them are here among us. Welcome! ». Bergoglio explains that “we will take it upon ourselves, as a Church, in the coming months. It is a small sign, which I hope will serve as a stimulus for other European countries, so that they allow local ecclesial realities to take charge of other brothers and sisters who urgently need to be relocated, accompanied, promoted and integrated “. According to Francis, “in fact, there are many local Churches, religious congregations and Catholic organizations that are ready to welcome them and accompany them towards fruitful integration”. We need «only to open a door, the door of the heart! – concludes his appeal – We do not fail to do it this Christmas! ».
Five days ago, on his birthday, Jorge Mario Bergoglio received at the Vatican Apostolic Palace the first group of a dozen refugees who arrived in Italy thanks to an agreement between the Holy See, the Italian and Cypriot authorities, as already anticipated during the apostolic journey to Cyprus and Greece. The group will be supported directly by the Bishop of Rome, while the Community of Sant’Egidio will take care of their inclusion in a one-year integration program. The Pope welcomed the refugees in the “Sala del Tronetto” and listened to their stories, and those of their journey from Congo Brazzaville, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Somalia and Syria. Some of them are doctors and computer technicians. “You saved us!” Said, moved, a Congolese boy, addressing the Pontiff. Francis addressed them individually a few words of welcome and affection, and thanked them for their visit. In wishing him “long life and good health” on his birthday, the refugees gave the Pope a picture of an Afghan refugee as a gift, depicting the attempt to cross the Mediterranean by some migrants. Pope Francis inquired about a child he met in the Mavrovouni camp, in Lesbos, who would come to Italy in the following days with his family to be treated; after a photo together, he greeted the group and asked everyone to pray for him.
And this morning, at the end of the general audience, Francis greeted the child, together with his family, Afghans of Tajik ethnicity, who arrived on Monday. Amir Ali is one and a half years old. He lived in the Mavrovouni refugee camp in Lesbos. Francis sees him again this morning in the “Paul VI Hall”, at the end of the general audience. For the little one, the documentation for his stay at the Bambino Gesù pediatric hospital is ready, where he is hospitalized for an operation aimed at resolving the malformation of the palate with which he was born. Amir has thus become an emblem of that “wounded humanity” – of that “wound” of humanity – which the Bishop of Rome continually seeks to place at the center of the international community’s attention and to support in all ways. Now he is making sure that fifty refugees arrive in Italy in the next two months.
The first group of 12 from Cyprus has now landed.
Five years ago, Francis took twelve refugees who had landed on the island of Lesbos with him to Rome, to the Vatican. They had even boarded the papal plane on the return trip, and were hosted by the Community of Sant’Egidio.
It consisted of three Muslim families housed in the Kara Tepe open-air camp, chosen at random.
Father Federico Lombardi, then director of the Holy See Press Office, explained: “The Pope wanted to make a gesture of welcome towards the refugees by accompanying three families of refugees from Syria to Rome with his own plane, 12 people in all, of which you are minors. These are people who were already present in the reception camps of Lesvos before the agreement between the European Union and Turkey ”.
Bergoglio’s initiative “was carried out through negotiations between the Secretariat of State with the competent Greek and Italian authorities”.
All the members “of the three families are Muslims. Two families come from Damascus, one from Deir Azzor (in the area occupied by Daesh). Their homes were bombed. The reception and maintenance of the three families will be the responsibility of the Vatican ».
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