The Pope on refugees: no one can look the other way
Leone XIV recalled that Saturday 20 June marked World Refugee Day, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, ‘which was established to protect those who are persecuted and forced to leave their homeland, their homes and their families’
‘No one can turn a blind eye to those seeking protection and safety. I also urge everyone to welcome those who are victims of persecution, so that they may live in peace, with dignity, and look to the future with hope.’ The Pope said this during the Angelus, recalling that yesterday marked World Refugee Day, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, “which was established to protect those who are persecuted and forced to leave their homeland, their homes and their families”. The Pope expressed the hope that this spirit would continue to “enlighten the consciences of world leaders”.
The Pope: the world is in such need of peace and hope
Christians today, too, face ‘hostility and persecution’, just as they did in the early days, and ‘the temptation to lose heart and to let oneself be overcome by weariness or fear’ remains ‘great’, explained Leo XIV. ‘Now, as then,’ he added, ‘it is a challenge to remain faithful to the teachings of Jesus and to proclaim his Word: to respond to hatred with love, to arrogance with meekness, and to discouragement with perseverance. This is why we must anchor the roots of our faith and our mission in an intimate relationship with Him. This gives us the strength not to give up and to continue to share with everyone, in all circumstances, his message of hope, love and peace. The world needs it so much!’
