Confirmed: Pope will visit Greece next week

April 07, 2016

Pope Francis will visit the Greek island of Lesbos on April 16 to dramatize the plight of migrants, the Vatican has confirmed.

The Pope has accepted an invitation to join Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople and Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens, who are traveling to Lesbos to show support for refugees who face the prospect of being returned to Turkey.

In confirming plans for the papal trip, Father Federico Lombardi, the director of the Vatican press office, said that the ecumenical gesture would be a show of "Christian solidarity and closeness to the great problem of refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants."

 

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Further information:

• Pope Francis to visit the Greek island of Lesbos (Vatican Radio)
• Pope may visit Greece to meet with migrants facing return to Turkey (CWN, 4/5)
• Patriarchate confirms papal visit to Greek island in ‘near future’ (CWN, 4/7)