Pope: Migrants ‘Like Jesus’ Know Pain of ‘Not Being Welcomed’
Francis commemorated 'International Migrants’ urging nations to open borders
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Pope Francis commemorated 'International Migrants’ Day on Tuesday with a Tweet comparing Jesus Christ's cold welcome in Bethlehem to that of modern-day migrants.
But the Pontiff may have been too quick start giving history lessons on social media as many corrected him by pointing out that Joseph and Mary were not immigrants, but were returning to Bethlehem, Joseph’s native city.
“Jesus knows well the pain of not being welcomed,” the pope said.
“May our hearts not be closed as were the houses in Bethlehem.”
Others corrected Francis again, noting that houses in Bethlehem were not “closed” but were 'full' due to a high number of citizens returning to their ancestral home for the imperial census.
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But once again, Francis made the issue of immigration a central to his papal platform, urging nations to be more inviting to migrants, regardless of them being illegal or threatening to national security.
The Pontiff suggested that failure to welcome migrants has fueled by "populist rhetoric” and "selfishness."
The Pope praised the U.N.’s Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM), approved in Marrakesh last week, expressing his approval in his Angelus message on Sunday.
Jesus knows well the pain of not being welcomed. May our hearts not be closed as were the houses in Bethlehem. #Internationalmigrantsday
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) December 18, 2018
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Speaking to the 25,000 pilgrims and tourists in Saint Peter’s Square, the Pontiff said GCM provides “a framework for the whole international community,” before asking for prayers that the new agreement will encourage nations to have “responsibility, solidarity, and compassion toward those who, for various reasons, have left their country.”
The Pontiff yesterday challenged President Donald Trump and Italian right-wing league leader Matteo Salvini over their stance on mass immigration
'Political addresses that tend to blame every evil on migrants and to deprive the poor of hope are unacceptable,' the pope, said
He then added that the world is 'marked by a climate of mistrust rooted in fear of others or of strangers, or anxiety about one's security.
'Early this month, the Vatican’s department for Migration and Refugee praised the GCM stating it emphasized “greater cooperation and responsibility sharing.”
