Pope Francis: Immigration Today Is ‘Complex,’ Sometimes ‘Frightening’

ROME — Pope Francis said Saturday that in dealing with immigration problems government leaders must combine “healthy realism” with “respect for people’s dignity.”

In addressing the organizers of the annual intercultural Festival of Giavera del Montello, the pope praised them for including associations and groups of migrants to participate in their celebration, saying the festival has become “a crossroads, a place for meeting, for dialogue, for mutual understanding.”

The pontiff went on to contrast a “culture of hospitality” and a “culture of waste,” urging the festival organizers to continue “spreading a welcoming culture.”

“The reality of migration in our time has taken on characteristics that can sometimes be frightening,” Francis said. “Objectively, the phenomenon is very complex, and unfortunately there are criminal groups that take advantage of it; migrants risk being exploited even within geopolitical conflicts. Then they cease to be persons and become numbers.”

“Therefore, there is more th... (Read more)

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