There is speculation that Pope Francis will visit the Greek island of Lesbos, where hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees have arrived in recent months.
Responding to media reports that the Pope will travel there next Friday, April 15, Fr. Federico Lombardi, the director of the Holy See Press Office said there have been discussions about a possible papal visit, but he could not confirm any dates or details.
According to a statement by the Orthodox Church of Greece yesterday, a visit of the Holy Father to visit the island to meet with migrants and refugees arriving across the Mediterranean sea would be welcome.
The statement proposed a visit and recalled that the Pope expressed a desire to visit one of the islands “in order to draw attention to the humanitarian problems of the migrants,” as well as the need for “an immediate cessation of hostilities in the wider Mediterranean region.”
In addition, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew 1st of Constantinople, also released a statement yesterday confirming he will also be visiting the island of Lesbos to highlight the plight of the region’s refugees and migrants.
Many of these immigrants are fleeing from conflicts or persecution in the Middle East and Africa, while many so-called economic migrants are seeking better living conditions in Europe or other Western countries.
