Church leader
Pope calls for the acceptance and integration of migrants
“But the main criterion cannot be the preservation of one’s own prosperity, but rather the preservation of human dignity”: Pope Francis in Marseille. photo
© Yara Nardi/Reuters Pool/AP/dpa
The issue of migration concerns politicians and people in Europe. During a visit to Marseille, the head of the Catholic Church calls for a prudent approach and the preservation of human dignity.
“The mare nostrum cries out for justice, because on its banks there is abundance, consumption and waste on the one hand, and poverty and precarity on the other,” said Francis at the end of a youth meeting with participants from 29 Mediterranean countries. Of course, the difficulties in accepting migrants cannot be overlooked. “But the main criterion cannot be the preservation of one’s own prosperity, but rather the preservation of human dignity.”
Pope: Integration, far-sighted preparation for the future
The future does not lie in isolation. “To say ‘enough’, on the other hand, means turning a blind eye; trying to ‘save yourself’ today will turn into a tragedy tomorrow,” warned the church leader. “Future generations will thank us if we have succeeded “to create the conditions for inevitable integration, while they will blame us for merely engaging in sterile assimilation.”
Integration is difficult, but a far-sighted preparation for the future, said Francis. “Assimilation, which does not take differences into account and remains rigid in its own paradigms, leads to the idea dominating reality and endangers the future by increasing distances and provoking a ghettoization that breeds hostility and intolerance.”
On the second day of his visit to Marseille, the Pope wants to hold a mass in the afternoon in front of almost 60,000 people. French President Emmanuel Macron, who previously met with the head of the Catholic Church for a discussion, is also expected to attend the service. Migration should also be an important topic here. Up to 100,000 onlookers are expected along the route that Francis plans to take in the city with the Popemobile on Saturday.