Pope has lunch with Syrian refugees at the Vatican.
Pope Francis had lunch at the Casa Santa Marta, where he lives, with a group of 21 Syrian refugees who came from the Greek island of Lesbos, a gateway for illegal immigrants to Europe; the first group, of 16 people, came with the religious leader on the papal plane when he returned from a visit to the island, during which he visited the refugees detained there; the second group arrived in mid-June; they currently live in the Sant'Egidio Community in Rome and are supported by the Catholic Church.
Pope Francis had lunch this Thursday (11), at Casa Santa Marta, where he lives, with a group of 21 Syrian refugees who came from the island of Lesbos, in Greece, a gateway for illegal immigrants to Europe.
The first group, of 16 people, came with the religious leader on the papal plane itself, when he was returning from a visit to the island, during which he visited the refugees trapped there. The second group arrived in mid-June. Currently, they live in the Sant'Egidio Community in Rome and are supported by the Catholic Church.
In a statement, Vatican spokesman Greg Burke explained that "both adults and children had the opportunity to talk with Pope Francis about the beginning of their lives in Italy." The children presented the Pope with drawings, and he contributed toys and other gifts.
In April, Francis visited a refugee camp on Lesbos along with Orthodox religious leaders, the Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, and the Archbishop of Athens, Jerome II.
Since assuming leadership of the Catholic Church in March 2013, the Pope has been appealing for help for immigrants. One of his first commitments was to visit the Italian island of Lampedusa in the Mediterranean Sea, where dozens of boats carrying immigrants attempt to reach the European continent daily. Since last year, Europe has faced the largest influx of forced displacement of people since the end of World War II (1939-1945).