Pope Francis Defends Migrants and Refugees in Christmas Address

Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church, in his Christmas ceremony speech, by comparing the situation of Mary and Joseph to that of migrants and refugees, defended the rights of this group of people and said that respecting and accepting foreigners is a requirement of faith.

Pope Francis, in his Christmas ceremony speech, at midnight on the third of Dey, at the Basilica of Saint Peter in Vatican City, said “countless steps are hidden in the steps that Mary and Joseph took. Today we witness that all members of a family are forced to leave their homeland”.

The Pope’s reference to the journey of Jesus’ mother and Joseph the carpenter to the city of Bethlehem—today in the West Bank—is where Christian believers believe Jesus was born.

The Pope added “often, leaving one’s homeland is linked to hope and desire; hope for the future. But for many, leaving their homeland occurs for only one reason: survival”.

He says: God is reflected in “uninvited guests, sometimes unrecognizable, those who pass through our cities, walk in our neighborhoods, board our buses and knock on the doors of our houses”.

The leader of the Catholic Church says: Jesus “despite poverty and hardship, showed that true power and real freedom are manifested in respect for and assistance to the disadvantaged”.

He added “Christmas is a time when the power to help others should replace the rule of fear and terror”.

Thousands of people attended the Christmas Eve ceremony in Vatican City. This ceremony is held annually with an address by the leader of the Catholic Church. On Sunday midnight, Pope Francis delivered a speech lasting nearly 90 minutes, most of which was in Latin.

The 81-year-old Pope himself is the son of Italian immigrants to Argentina. Francis has repeatedly defended the rights of refugees and migrants. This is the fifth year that the Argentine Pope, as the leader of the Catholic Church, is delivering a speech at the Christmas ceremony.

More than 1.2 billion people are believers in the Catholic Church, which is considered the largest branch of the Christian Church.

On Christmas Day noon, Pope Francis will deliver a speech called “Urbi et Orbi” (Address to the City and to the World) at the Basilica of Saint Peter. The speech called “Address to the City and to the World” is delivered twice every year.

Source: Radio Farda