Patriarchate confirms papal visit to Greek island in ‘near future’

April 07, 2016

The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople has announced that Pope Francis, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, and Greek Orthodox Archbishop Ieronymos II of Athens “will visit the island of Lesbos in the near future in order to meet with and support the refugees there.”

Lesbos is a Greek island located off the coast of Turkey. Under an agreement recently reached between the EU and Turkey, migrants arriving in Greece are being returned to Turkey.

“This measure and initiative of the religious leaders will encourage and strengthen the thousands of suffering refugees, while inspiring the implementation of appropriate actions for the protection of the afflicted Christian communities as well as the proper response to the critical refugee situation,” the patriarchate explained in its annoucement.

 

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Further information:

• Announcement (Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople)
• Pope may visit Greece to meet with migrants facing return to Turkey (CWN, 4/5)
• Migrants sent back from Greece arrive in Turkey under EU deal (Reuters)