Pope Francis met with participants of a conference on Italian migrants. It is organized by the Italian Bishops' Conference.
CARD. GUALTIERO BASSETTI
President of Italian Bishops' Conference
“In each migrant we see the face of the Lord. We wanted to listen to their stories, their voices, their experiences.”
Pope Francis pointed out that doing nothing to help migrants integrate can lead to tensions. He gave the example of the 2016 attacks on the airport and metro in Brussels. The bombings killed 32 people and injured 340.
POPE FRANCIS
'(This) always reminds me of the tragedy of Zaventem. Those who carried out these attacks were Belgian, but sons of immigrants who were not integrated. Outsiders.'
The Pope did not mention the current tensions at the Poland-Belarus border, where a number of migrants are stuck. But he did say that immigrants are a blessing.
POPE FRANCIS
'Migrants are also a blessing for our Churches in Europe. If they integrate, they can help breathe the air of a diversity that regenerates unity. They can nourish the face of Catholicity. They can bear witness to the apostolicity of the Church. They can generate stories of holiness.'
Pope Francis said the arrival of migrants should be seen as an opportunity to enrich society, and not as an obstacle. He proposed his usual four steps of welcoming, accompanying, promoting and integrating migrants.
JMB
TR: CT
