Paul KeenanMoment has arrived to face issue, Pope insists
The moment has arrived to face the issue of forced migration on an international level, Pope Francis has said.
Addressing new ambassadors who presented their credentials to the Holy See on May 15, Pope Francis took the opportunity to revisit the topic which has been close to his heart since his election.
Mindful of the continuing wave of humanity undertaking the perilous Mediterranean crossing in an attempt to reach Europe, the Pope told the new ambassadors of "stories that make us weep for shame: human beings, our brothers and sisters, children of God who, inspired by the wish to live and work in peace, face harrowing journeys and are subjected to blackmail, torture and harassment of every kind, and at times end up dying in the desert or at the bottom of the sea".
Insisting that reacting to emergencies is insufficient in addressing migration, the Pope went on: "This phenomenon has fully manifested its epochal character. The moment has arrived to face it with a serious and responsible political outlook, involving all levels: global, continental, macro-regional, in relations between nations, and finally at national and local levels."
Those presenting their credentials to Pope Francis were Pierre Yves Fux, Switzerland; Rudolf P. von Balimoos, Liberia; Nega Tsegaye Tessema, Ethiopia; Nasreldin Ahmed Wali Abdeltif, Sudan; Margaret Ann Louise Jobson, Jamaica; Claudinah Ntini Ramosepele, South Africa; and Mysore Kapanalah Lokesh, India.