Pope Francis, on Saturday, issued an appeal to European governments, urging them to open their doors to migrants and refrain from viewing them as “invaders.” This plea came as the religious leader waded into a highly sensitive political discourse that has been exacerbated by large-scale migrant arrivals.
During a conference of bishops and young people from the Mediterranean held in the French port city of Marseille, Pope Francis emphasized, “Those who risk their lives at sea do not invade; they seek refuge.” In doing so, he underscored the humanity of migrants and implored nations to provide them with a warm welcome.
Pope Francis drew attention to the dire situation in the Mediterranean, which he described as transforming from the “mare nostrum,” meaning “our sea” and symbolizing the cradle of civilization, into the “mare mortuum,” signifying the graveyard of dignity. He acknowledged the suffering of migrant brothers and sisters whose cries for help go unanswered.
Migration, the Pope asserted, is an undeniable reality of our contemporary world, encompassing three continents around the Mediterranean, and it demands thoughtful governance, including a unified European response.
While Pope Francis received a standing ovation for his 35-minute speech, it is possible that his stance on migration did not align with the intentions of French President Emmanuel Macron and Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, both of whom were in attendance and have been devising stricter measures for managing migrant arrivals.
The Pope’s resolute statements come in the wake of recent mass arrivals that reignited the migration debate on the Italian island of Lampedusa. On Friday, during his arrival in Marseille, Pope Francis made an impassioned plea, insisting that individuals at risk of drowning while abandoned at sea must be rescued. He declared that rescuing migrants facing such perils is a fundamental duty of humanity, and those who neglect this responsibility commit an act of hatred.
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