Pope Francis this Saturday hosted many refugees arriving in Europe through humanitarian corridors and heard some of their stories, then claimed that integration is “part of salvation”.
“Each of you deserves attention for the hard history you have lived. In particular, I want to remember those who passed through the detention camps in Libya,” the pope said during an audience in the Paul VI Hall, a vast Vatican pavilion.
The refugees managed to reach Italy thanks to the humanitarian corridor program of the Community of Sant’Egidio, the Catholic and Evangelical Churches and the Protestant Mesa Valdesa, a system praised by the Pope.
“Humanitarian corridors are not only intended to bring refugees to Italy and other European countries and free them from a situation of uncertainty, danger and endless waiting”, explained.
“They also work for their integration and this is important because integration is part of their salvation,” Francisco added.
The pope heard the stories of some of the immigrants who participated in the audience, such as Maskaran and his family, who arrived “from the hell of Libya,” he reported.
Or Anna, a Christian from the Syrian city of Aleppo who, after years of war and destruction, decided to leave the country, together with her newborn daughter, in search of peace.
The pope also recalled the “terrible” case of a refugee who took three years to reach Spain.
Source: DN
