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Pope Francis says turning away migrants a ‘grave sin’ – praises NGOs, calls for lax immigration laws

August 28, 2024 | | Print Article

Pope Francis put a moral spin on the migrant issue as he declared that turning away those seeking asylum is tantamount to committing a “grave sin.”

The Roman Catholic pontiff once again spoke on the treatment of migrants during his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday. His strong words triggered a multitude of reactions on social media after he argued in favor of looser restrictions on migrants crossing borders, though he did not specify whether the migrants legally or illegally entered.

“We must say it clearly, there are those who work systematically and with every means to reject migrants,” he said. “And this, when done with conscience and responsibility, is a grave sin.”

He contended that God is with the migrants and their plight but is “not with those who turn them away.”

(Video Credit: ABS-CBN New)

“Migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea in simple crafts or home-made dinghies from northern Africa and the Middle East have been the subject of intense debate across Europe over the past decade,” Reuters reported. “The International Organization for Migration estimates that more than 30,000 migrants crossing the Mediterranean have gone missing since 2014.”

“Today’s migratory routes are often marked by crossings of seas and deserts, which for many, too many people – too many! – are deadly. Therefore, today I want to dwell on this drama, this pain,” the pope said while focusing on the “sea” and the “desert” in the context of migration.

He contended that the Mediterranean Sea, “the mare nostrum, a place of communication between peoples and civilizations,” has become “the mare nostrum – it has become a cemetery.”

The 87-year-old head of the Catholic Church told listeners that God “shares in the migrants’ drama, God is there with them” and “suffers” with them.

“He weeps and hopes with them, with the migrants,” the pope said of the “grave humanitarian crisis.”

“Brothers and sisters, we can all agree on one thing: migrants should not be in those seas and in those lethal deserts. But it is not through more restrictive laws, it is not with the militarization of borders, it is not with rejection that we will obtain this result. Instead, we will obtain it by extending safe and legal access routes for migrants,” he continued.

He praised the work of good Samaritans like NGOs and others who “do their utmost to help and save the wounded and abandoned migrants on the routes of desperate hope.”

“These courageous men and women are a sign of a humanity that does not allow itself to be infected by the bad culture of indifference and waste,” he said; “what kills migrants is our indifference and that attitude of discarding.”

He urged prayer, adding, “And I ask you: do you pray for migrants, for those who come to our lands to save their lives? And then they want to send them away…”

Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah has taken great exception to the pope’s stance on immigration, arguing in the past that it’s wrong to “use the word of God to promote migration.” It is a “false interpretation” of the Bible, he has argued, saying it’s better “to help people flourish in their culture than to encourage them to come to Europe.”

On social media, the reaction to the pope’s address was strong and emotional.

Frieda Powers
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