Pope: each country should accept all the migrants it can accommodate
In an interview, Francis stressed the need to integrate and not ghettoise those fleeing war or famine. The latter have a right to emigrate. A homeless Polish man attended seminary with John Paul II.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Pope Francis gave an interview to Scarp de’ tenis (Sneakers), an Italian magazine by and for homeless people, supported by Caritas Milan and Caritas Italy. The interview will appear in the 25 March issue of the magazine.
In the interview, the Holy Father said people who flee war or famine have the right to emigrate, but each country should only accept "all those it can accommodate and integrate."
Speaking about the homeless, Francis mentioned an event in the life of Pope John Paul II. "Everybody in the Vatican remembers a well-known story of a homeless person, of Polish origin, who generally hung around Rome’s Piazza Risorgimento. He spoke to no one, not even to Caritas volunteers who brought him a hot meal in the evenings. Only after a long time did they get his story. ‘I am a priest,” he said. ‘I know your Pope well. We studied together in the seminary’.
“When he heard the man’s name, Saint John Paul II confirmed that he had been with him in the seminary and wanted to meet him. After 40 years, they hugged, and at the end of the meeting, the Pope asked the priest who had been his friend to confess him. ‘Now it's up to you,’ said the Pope who confessed his fellow seminarian.”
“Thanks to the deed of a volunteer, a hot meal, a few words of comfort, a glance of goodness, this man turned around his life and went on to lead a normal life becoming a hospital chaplain. The pope had helped him. Of course, this is a miracle, but it is also an example that homeless people have great dignity."
With respect to migrants, the pontiff said that "Those who come to Europe are fleeing from war or famine. We are in part guilty because we exploit their lands but do not make any kind of investment so that they can benefit from them. They have the right to emigrate and are entitled to be welcomed and helped. But this must be done with a Christian virtue, which should be the virtue of rulers, namely prudence. What does this mean? It means accepting all those who can be accommodated. This as far as numbers go. But it is equally important to reflect on ‘how to’ accommodate them, for accommodating means integrating. This is the most difficult thing because if migrants do not integrate, they end up ghettoised.”
“I remember the incident in Zaventem*. Those involved were Belgian, children of immigrants, but lived in a neighbourhood that was a ghetto. What does integration mean? Here too let me give you an example. Thirteen people came to Italy from Lesbos. On the second day of stay, thanks to the Sant'Egidio community, children were already in school. They soon found a place to stay. Adults went to language school to learn Italian, and find a job. Of course, for children it is easier. They go to school, and in a few months, they can speak Italian better than me. The men looked for a job and found it.”
“Integration means entering the life of the country, respecting the laws of the country, respecting the culture of the country, but also having others respect one own’s culture and cultural riches. Integration is a very difficult job. At the time of the military dictatorship in Argentina, we looked to Sweden as a positive example. The Swedes now number nine million, but of these, 890,000 are new Swedes, i.e. integrated migrants or children of migrants.”
“Sweden’s Culture Minister Alice Bah Kuhnke is the daughter of a Swedish woman and a Gambian man. This is a fine example of integration. Of course, now there are problems in Sweden too. they have many applications and are trying to figure out what to do because there is not room for everyone. Receiving, accepting, consoling and immediately integrating. What is missing is precisely integration. Each country has to see what number it can accommodate. One cannot accept if there is no possibility of integration."
* Brussels airport attack on 22 March 2016.
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