Pope tells youth to support refugees

At the Vatican’s “summit on the migrant emergency” meeting in Italy, Pope Francis urged hundreds of children to fearlessly embrace refugees coming int

Jun 13, 2016

VATICAN: At the Vatican’s “summit on the migrant emergency” meeting in Italy, Pope Francis urged hundreds of children to fearlessly embrace refugees coming into their nation.

“Migrants are not a danger — they are in danger,” Pope Francis insisted moments into his address, according to Breitbart.

Immediately after his assurance, the Catholic leader instructed the children attendees to repeat his chant.

The 400 live in Italy’s Calabria region — an area to which a large number of migrants from sub-Sahara Africa have relocated.

Speaking off the cuff to the children who had arrived by the Treno per Bambini — Children’s Train — and who represented various religions, cultures, and ethnicities, the Pope asked them to come up with a name for an unknown girl.

“Let us think of this little girl: What was her name? I do not know a little girl with no name,” the pontiff said, according to Vatican Radio’s translation. “Each of you give her the name you would like, each in his heart. She is in heaven, she is looking on us.”

Pope Francis told the story of the little girl as it was recounted to him by a rescue worker who had attempted to save the child, only to succeed in saving her lifejacket.

“He brought me this jacket,” the pontiff said, showing the life jacket to the children, “and with tears in his eyes, he said to me, ‘Father, I couldn’t do it — there was a little girl on the waves, and I did all I could, but I couldn’t save her: only her life vest was left.’”

“I do not (tell you this because I) want you to be sad, but (because) you are brave and you (should) know the truth: they are in danger — many boys and girls, small children, men, women — they are in danger,” he said.

Pope Francis proceeded to bring in God and the Bible as he exhorted Italian children not to neglect their Christian duty as they decide how to deal with migrants in their country, Breitbart reports. The Italian religious leader then appealed to New Testament Scripture to get the students into his corner by contending that the passage about the Good Samaritan calls them to welcome everyone as brother and sister.

The Pope went on to persuade the children that people who neglect their duty to provide for the needs of others with a spirit of hospitality will be judged for their hypocrisy. He then stressed that strangers aren’t necessarily bad or a threat, and suggested that students harness their fear of migrants by keeping in mind that they are all children of the same Father — regardless of their different skin colours. The annual Treno per Bambini, which brings a group of young boys and girls, is an initiative of the Pontifical Council of Culture. The theme of this year's event is Carried by waves, which is meant to evoke the image of both the danger and the hope experienced by migrants.

Among the initiatives involved in the event are the John XXIII Association, and the Quattrocanti Children’s Orchestra of Palermo, which brings together boys and girls of eight different ethnicities.

The principal of a school in Vibo Marina, Mary Salvia, brought with her, to the May 28 event, money which had been collected by the school for the children of Lesbos, along with a letter signed by her students.

“We, children, promise that we will welcome anyone who arrives in our country,” said the letter, which was read to Pope Francis by Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture. “We shall never consider anyone who has a different skin colour, or who speaks a different language, or who professes a different religion from ours, a dangerous enemy.” -- Agencies

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