Category Archives: migration/refugees

The challenge of migrants, the response of mercy: Pope Francis’s message for World Day of Migrants and Refugees

Posted on January 14, 2016 by

[Austen Ivereigh] Migrants should not be viewed merely in juridical terms  — ‘legal’ or ‘illegal’  — but as people whose dignity needs to be protected and who make a positive contribution to the countries that receive them, says Pope Francis in his message … Continue reading →

Posted in migration/refugees, Pope Francis

Francis calls for Europe to preserve its values by welcoming migrants

Posted on January 11, 2016 by

[Austen Ivereigh] The arrival of unprecedented numbers of refugees fleeing poverty and violence is testing its postwar settlement, but Europe must guard against losing the values and principles the world rightly looks to, Pope Francis said this morning in his annual speech to diplomats. Addressing … Continue reading →

Posted in Holy See diplomacy, migration/refugees, Pope Francis, Uncategorized

Pope Francis’s New Year message: see how the ‘ocean’ of mercy drowns the ‘torrent’ of misery

Posted on January 2, 2016 by

[Austen Ivereigh] In two homilies yesterday, Pope Francis opened the New Year with sobering reflections on the state of the world, urging people to look beyond the gloomy headlines to grasp the powerful effect of God’s mercy. Noting how the mystery … Continue reading →

Posted in mercy, migration/refugees, Pope Francis

Pope Francis’s Christmas message: only God’s mercy can free humanity

Posted on December 26, 2015 by

[Austen Ivereigh] Against a backdrop of growing terrorist violence, war and persecution across the world, Pope Francis yesterday used his traditional Christmas address “to the city and to the world” to appeal for a new openness to God’s grace of … Continue reading →

Posted in mercy, migration/refugees, Pope Francis address, Pope Francis homily, religious freedom, South America

MPs tell government: UN should declare ISIS war on Christians is ‘genocide’

Posted on December 23, 2015 by

The British government should urge the United Nations to declare the jihadist eradication of Syrian and Iraqi minorities to be ‘genocide’,  leading MPs have told David Cameron (BBC report here). Their letter, whose 75 signatories are led by two Catholic MPs, Lord Alton of Liverpool and … Continue reading →

Posted in migration/refugees

Francis in Africa: conquering conflict with the medicine of mercy

Posted on November 24, 2015 by

[Dominic Burbidge] Pope Francis begins tomorrow a five-day, three-nation trip to east and central Africa, the first time a pope has set foot in an active war zone. Francis’ journey (full itinerary here) will cover the three countries of Kenya, Uganda … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, mercy, migration/refugees, Pope Francis