VATICAN/GENERAL AUDIENCE - Pope Francis: "Systematically turning migrants away is a grave sin"

Vatican City (Fides News Agency) - "This must be said clearly: there are people who work systematically and with every means to turn migrants away. And this, when done with cognizance and responsibility, is a grave sin. ” This is what Pope Francis during his general audience on Wednesday. The Pontiff, suspending the cycle of catecheses on the Holy Spirit that guides the Church, proposed - to the many worshippers gathered in St. Peter's Square - a reflection on the theme of "Sea and desert", two words, he explained that "they come up in many of the testimonies I receive, both from migrants and from people who are committed to helping them".

By saying “sea,” Francis emphasized, “in the context of migration, I also mean oceans, lakes, rivers, all the insidious bodies of water that so many brothers and sisters in every part of the world are forced to cross to reach their destination.” And "desert", he specified, "is not only that with sand and dunes, or rocky ones, but also all those impervious and dangerous territories, such as forests, jungles and steppes where migrants walk alone, left to their own devices".

Of the Mediterranean, the Bishop of Rome continued, "I have spoken many times because it is emblematic: the mare nostrum, a place of communication between peoples and civilizations, has become a cemetery. And the tragedy is that many, most of the dead, could have been saved. ”

"Unfortunately, some deserts also become cemeteries for migrants. And here these are also often not 'natural' deaths. No. Sometimes they were taken to the desert and abandoned there. In the age of satellites and drones - the Pontiff warned - there are migrant men, women and children that no one must see: they hide them away. Only God sees them and hears their cries. And this is a cruelty of our civilization. ”

“One thing we could all agree on: in those deadly seas and deserts, today's migrants should not be found there. But it is not through more restrictive laws, it is not with the militarization of borders, it is not with refusal that we will achieve this result", continued the Pope who suggested some solutions: "We will achieve it instead by expanding safe access routes and regular access routes for migrants, facilitating refuge for those fleeing from wars, violence, persecution and many calamities; we will achieve it by favoring in every possible way a global governance of migration based on justice, brotherhood and solidarity. And by joining forces to fight human trafficking, to stop the criminal traffickers who mercilessly exploit the misery of others. "

Finally, Francis praised the "commitment of many good Samaritans, who do their utmost to aid and rescue injured and abandoned migrants on the routes of desperate hope, across five continents. These brave men and women are a sign of a humanity that will not let itself be infected by the bad culture of indifference and spurning: what kills migrants is our indifference".

He then cited the "many good people who are there, on the front line, the Mediterranea Saving Humans (to whom he had sent a message of blessing and encouragement a few days ago, ed) and many other associations". And he concluded: "We cannot be at the forefront but we are not excluded; there are many ways to make our contribution, prayer first of all. And I ask you: do you pray for migrants, for those who come to our lands to save themselves? And 'you' want to chase them away. ”

Just a few days ago a sailboat promoted by the Migrantes Foundation of Fano-Fossombrone-Cagli-Pergola joined the ship "Mare Jonio" of the Mediterranean Saving Humans Association. Promoted in collaboration with the Migrantes Foundation, the trip aimed to collect data and information on the monitoring, search and rescue of migrants in the Mediterranean, and thus document the effectiveness of what is being done.

Responding to Pope Francis's appeals on the occasion of the 50th Social Week of Catholics in Italy, when he had recalled that "the challenge for the ecclesial and civil communities is to be able to combine openness and stability, hospitality and identity", the initiative was an opportunity to reiterate the Church's closeness to those fleeing from war, violence and hunger, as well as to thank the Italian Coast Guard (which in the first half of 2024 saved more than 15,000 lives) and all law enforcement agencies engaged in rescue actions at sea for their competence, professionalism and humanity.

Pope Francis had personally wanted to encourage the mission of the "Mare Jonio" and those who, again in coordination with the Italian authorities and in compliance with the laws, help to save migrants' lives.

"The object of this trip was to know and better understand what happens in the Mare Nostrum, so as to be able to have greater awareness and cognizance in light of complete documentation and authentic testimony. Contrary to some press reports, it was not a boat with the Italian Episcopal Conference, it was the Migrantes Foundation's support to an initiative by a local Church, that of Fano, to promote better information on the migration phenomenon, free of prejudices and polarizations", said Gian Carlo Perego, Archbishop of Ferrara-Comacchio and president of the Migrantes Foundation.

According to data released by the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM), from January 1 to August 17, more than 1,000 people died or went missing in the Central Mediterranean, while almost 14,000 were captured at sea and sent back to Libya, a country which, furthermore, the UN declared as "unsafe". (F.B.) (Fides News Agency 28/8/2024)

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