Noting that he'd met with associations who help migrants, and migrants themselves, Pope Francis on November 28 spoke of the plight of these peoples after leading the midday Angelus.
The Pope said that his heart is with them. Indeed the situation of migrants is a theme that he has turned to many times in his pontificate.
The Holy Father noted the recent news of tragedies befalling migrants.
Pope Francis referred to the audience he granted the day before to participants in the Giàvera Festival, an Italian association that promotes dialogue between peoples through art, debate, and testimonies during a festival in Veneto. More than 40 associations working with migrants participate in this event which is held during the month of July.
During this meeting, the Pontiff recognized that migration is a “very complex” problem: “Unfortunately, there are criminal groups who profit from it.”
He also denounced the exploitation of migrants in geopolitical conflicts. "They then cease to be people and become numbers," he lamented.
“There is more than ever a need for places where the faces, stories, songs, prayers and art of migrants are put at the center,” Pope Francis told his guests. Asking that they not “hide or ignore the difficulties” linked to migration, he called for listening to migrants, those who are most able to bear witness to the issues.
