Prio to his meeting with with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano today, Pope Francis warned about the effects of the global crisis, considering unemployment one of its “most painful” consequences. “It is necessary to multiply efforts in order to strengthen any sign of recovery,” the pontiff stated.
The head of the Catholic Church delivered a speech at Italy’s Quirinale presidential palace in which he also expressed concern about migrants’ situation. Francis has made the defence of the vulnerable a cornerstone of his papacy, lately urging world leaders to “respect” the rights of migrants and refugees.
In that sense, the Argentine pope said he keeps “printed” in his mind the images of his first visits to Italy and his recent trip to Lampedusa, the tiny island off Sicily that has been the first port of safety for untold thousands of migrants crossing by sea from North Africa seeking a better life in Europe.
“I have seen laudable testimonies of solidarity there”, he said.
The pope also referred to the ties between the Holy See and Rome affirming his presence there confirmed the “excellent state of reciprocal relations.”
Source: Buenos Aires Herald