A shipwreck that killed dozens of
refugees from northern Africa has prompted new
appeals from Church leaders for a charitable attitude toward migrants.
A flimsy craft carrying hundreds of
refugees — mostly from war-torn Libya
— went down off the coast of Malta .
As rescue efforts from both Italy
and Malta searched for
survivors, Bishop Francesco Montenegro of Agrigento ,
Italy , charged
that “the sea is not to blame for this disaster, but indifference.” The
Catholic Church has persistently urged Europeans to show mercy toward migrants
who are fleeing from untenable conditions. Archbishop Antonio Maria Vegliò, the
president of the Pontifical Council for Migrants, repeated that theme: “Europe needs to think seriously about what it means to
remain in the region from which refugees are fleeing.” He chided Italy for its
failure to accept migrants, noting that other European countries have more open
policies.
Father Federico Lombardi, the
director of the Vatican press office, said
that Pope Benedict was “deeply troubled” by the shipwreck, and was praying for
both victims and survivors. He said:
“The Holy Father and the whole
Church, remember in their prayers all victims of all nationalities and status,
women and children, who lose their lives in the terrible journey to escape
poverty, injustice or violence from which they are afflicted, in search of
protection, welcome and more humane living conditions. Let us remember that
among the victims of these tragedies in the Mediterranean there are Eritrean
Catholics who were migrants in Libya
and who also took part in the life of the Catholic community.”
http://www.catholicculture.org/news
http://www.catholicculture.org/news
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