Pope Francis is calling on all European parishes and religious communities to take in one refugee family, as the United Nation recognizes the record number of people trying to enter Europe, mostly from Syria, Eritrea, and Afghanistan.
«Every parish, every religious community, every monastery, every sanctuary of Europe, take in one family,» Francis requested, after praying the midday Angelus today with those gathered in St. Peter’s Square.
As we witness the “tragedy of tens of thousands of refugees who flee death in conflict and hunger and are on a journey of hope,» the Pope said, «the Gospel calls us to be close to the smallest and to those who have been abandoned.»
And reminding the faithful of the upcoming Jubilee Year of Mercy, he said that offering shelter to the needy is a “concrete act in preparation” for the Holy Year.
The Pope asked the bishops of Europe to support his appeal.
