Pope Francis Invites to “Welcome the Stranger, Clothe the Naked”

Pope Francis Invites to "Welcome the Stranger, Clothe the Naked"
Pope Francis greets the audience in Saint Peter's Square. Photo: Osservatore Romano

Speaking during yesterday’s general audience in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis invited once more the faithful to welcome the stranger and provide for the most vulnerable with mercy and solidarity.

After recalling that migration is a phenomenon which belongs to humanity’s history, Pope Francis expressed concern as to the hostility with which migrants and refugees are often received in many countries. “Today, unfortunately, the context of economic crisis fosters the emergence of closed and unwelcome attitudes. Walls and barriers rise in some parts of the world”, the Holy Father commented. “It seems sometimes that the silent work of many men and women, who spend themselves in different ways to help and assist refugees and migrants, is overshadowed by the noise of others who give voice to an instinctive egoism. But closure is not a solution”.

The remedy to this situation, Pope Francis explained, is not to fall into the trap of indifference and selfishness. “It is precisely in the measure in which we open to others that life becomes fecund, societies re-acquire peace and individuals recover their full dignity”.

The Pope’s full address, translated into English, is available on Zenit’s website.

WHAT WE DO

ICMC provides assistance and protection to vulnerable people on the move and advocates for sustainable solutions for refugees and migrants.