Refugees from Mediterranean tragedy buried in Malta at inter-religious ceremony
April 23, 2015
Catholics and Muslims in Malta joined in a memorial service for the 800 immigrants who died in a tragedy on the Mediterranean Sea.
The bodies of 24 people, from among the hundreds lost at sea, were buried in a ceremony led by Bishop Mario Grech of Gozo and Imam Mohammed el Sadi. “We mourn them because, deep inside-- irrespective of creed, nationality, race—we know that they are out fellow human beings,” the bishop said.
As the island nation buried some of the refugees, Bishop Grech urged European nations to take action to help others at sea. He observed that most refugees were leaving a desperate situation in their native land—in this case, Libya. While acknowledging the complexity of the situation, he said that Europeans should find ways to help those in need—either to make the situation more tenable in their own countries or to find new homes for them. “Face the situation with the eyes of the Good Samaritan,” he suggested.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
