Vatican City, 19 January 2014 (VIS) –
Following the Angelus prayer, the Pope commented that today is World
Day of Migrants and Refugees, a theme he explored in his message
“Migrants and Refugees: towards a better world”, published a
month ago.
“I offer a special greeting to the
different ethnic communities gathered here”, he said, “in
particular the Catholic communities in Rome. … You are close to the
heart of the Church, because the Church is a people journeying
towards the Kingdom of God, which Jesus Christ has brought among us.
Do not lose hope for a better world! I hope that you may live in
peace in your host countries, while safeguarding the values of your
cultures of origin”.
Pope Francis also thanked those who
work with migrants, “welcoming them and accompanying them in
difficult moments, to defend them from those that the Blessed
Scalabrini defined as 'brokers of human flesh', who seek to make
slaves of migrants. I especially wish to thank the Congregation of
Missionaries of St. Charles, the Scalabrinian fathers and sisters who
do great good to the Church and become migrants with the migrants”.
“In this moment let us think of the
many migrants and refugees, and of their suffering, their life, so
often without work, without documents, and with great pain; and let
us pray together for the migrants and refugees who experience more
serious and difficult situations”, concluded the Pope, inviting
those present to pray the Hail Mary.
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