God commands welcome for immigrants, Pope says
October 26, 2017
Pope Francis made a powerful new appeal for acceptance of immigrants during an October 26 video conference with young people throughout the world: an event organized by Scholas Ocurrentes.
“It’s not me who says this,” the Holy Father insisted, after making his plea for immigrants.
Someone much more important than I said it: God said it, and it the Bible it’s clear: Welcome the migrant, the refugee, because you were a migrant and refugee in Egypt. Jesus, too, was a refugee.
Pope Francis remarked that his own father was accepted as a young migrant from Italy into Argentina, and without that acceptance, “I wouldn’t be here today.”
Addressing himself to immigrants living in the US, the Pope said that the American bishops have kept him abreast of their struggles. He assured them of his support and his prayers. “Keep on dreaming,” he said, in a clear reference to the “dreamers” (the children of illegal immigrants) who have been the focus of a heated political debate in recent weeks.
Turning his attention to Europeans, the Pope repeated his demand for acceptance of immigrants. “This is not the moment for sterilized laboratories,” he said. “It’s time for welcome.” The Pope said that European civilization has assimilated migrants and refugees for centuries, from the time of the barbarian and Norse invaders.
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