(Reuters) – All European countries must share the responsibility of welcoming immigrants and helping them integrate, Pope Francis said Wednesday, urging nations to open “the door of the heart.”
In his weekly general audience, Francis, who has made the defense of immigrants and refugees a cornerstone of his papacy, said he was able to touch his “wounded humanity” during his trip to Cyprus and Greece earlier this month.
“I was also able to see how only a few European countries are bearing most of the consequences of the migration phenomenon in the Mediterranean area,” he said.
Pope Francis meets a family of Afghan refugees, who arrived from Lesbos, after the general audience at the Vatican on December 22, 2021. (FILIPPO MONTEFORTE / AFP via Getty Images)
“In reality, this requires a shared responsibility on the part of all and from which no country can escape, because it is a problem of humanity,” he added.
Frontline countries like Cyprus, Italy, Greece and Malta have long called for other nations to share responsibility for immigrants crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa.
Last week 12 immigrants arrived from Cyprus refugee camps who are being relocated to Italy at the pope’s expense, the first batch of a total of 50 expected from the Mediterranean island.
Francis said he hopes that more European countries will allow local Church groups to bring in more refugees and immigrants and help them integrate.
“It is enough to open a door, the door of the heart. Let’s not be negligent this Christmas,” Francisco said.