Pope Francis calls for solidarity, mercy to be shown towards migrants

Pope Francis on Friday called for a greater ‘solidarity and mercy’ to be shown towards migrants.

The pope was speaking at a special mass at the Vatican called to commemorate the fifth anniversary of his trip to the Italian island of Lampedusa, one of the main entry points into Europe for migrants.

Pope Francis has called for countries to treat migrants in a humane manner.

A just policy is one at the service of the person, of every person involved; a policy that provides for solutions that can ensure security, respect for the rights and dignity of all.

‘‘Before the challenges of contemporary movements of migration, the only reasonable response is one of solidarity and mercy. A response less concerned with calculations, than with the need for an equitable distribution of responsibilities, an honest and sincere assessment of the alternatives and a prudent management. A just policy is one at the service of the person, of every person involved; a policy that provides for solutions that can ensure security, respect for the rights and dignity of all; a policy concerned for the good of one’s own country, while taking into account that of others in an ever more interconnected world’‘, the Pope said.

At the end of the mass Pope Francis shook hands with some 200 migrants that attended the service.

Reuters