Pope Francis defends migrants and refugees in Christmas speech
In his Christmas speech, Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church, likened the situation of Mary and Joseph to that of immigrants and refugees, defending the rights of this group of people and saying that it is essential to faith to respect and accept foreigners.
"Innumerable steps are hidden in the steps taken by Mary and Joseph," Pope Francis said in his Christmas Eve address at midnight on January 22 in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. "Today we are witnessing the displacement of entire families."
The Pope is referring to the journey of Jesus' mother and Joseph the carpenter to the city of Bethlehem - today in the West Bank - where Christian believers believe Jesus was born.
The Pope added, "Many times, leaving one's country is linked to hope and aspiration; hope for the future. But for many, leaving one's country is done for only one reason: to survive."
He says: God manifests himself in “the uninvited, sometimes unrecognizable, guests who pass through our cities, walk through our neighborhoods, get on our buses, and knock on our doors.”
The leader of the Catholic Church says: Jesus "despite poverty and hardship, showed that true power and true freedom are revealed in respecting and helping the weak."
"Christmas is a time when the power of helping others must replace the reign of fear," he added.
Thousands of people attended the Christmas Eve mass in Vatican City, the annual event that features a speech by the leader of the Catholic Church. At midnight on Sunday, Pope Francis delivered a nearly 90-minute address, much of it in Latin.
The 81-year-old pope, himself the son of Italian immigrants to Argentina, has repeatedly defended the rights of refugees and migrants. This is the fifth year that the Argentine pontiff, as leader of the Catholic Church, has delivered a Christmas address.
More than 1.2 billion people believe in the Catholic Church, which is the largest branch of the Christian Church.
At noon on Christmas Day, Pope Francis will deliver his "Orbi et Orbi" address in St. Peter's Basilica. The "Orbi et Orbi" address is delivered twice a year.
Source: Radio Farda
