Migrants victims of ‘throwaway society’, says Pope
*I would call this a signal of what we should expect for Pope Francis to say when he visits the U.S. in September. He’ll be addressing a joint session of congress and some Republican legislators and presidential candidates have criticized the Pope for his stances on immigration and poverty. Pope Francis could also make many liberal lawmakers uncomfortable if he references the Catholic stance on abortion. The article below reports on the Pope’s recent comments in Turin, Italy. If he reiterates in Washington what he said in Turin, expect a strong, emphatic speech and equally strong and emphatic response. VL
By Christian Jennings, Scotsman
Immigration and economic recession topped the agenda for Pope Francis as he swept into Turin on a two-day visit, where he was greeted by more than 70,000 people yesterday at an open-air mass.
[pullquote][tweet_dis]“It makes one cry to see the spectacle of these days in which human beings have been treated like merchandise” -Pope Francis[/tweet_dis][/pullquote] [tweet_dis]“Immigration increases competition, but migrants must not be blamed, because they are victims of injustice, of wars, of a throwaway society,”[/tweet_dis] he said, referring to the increasing numbers of Middle Eastern and African migrants attempting the hazardous crossing of the Mediterranean to Italy.More than 50,000 migrants have arrived on Italy’s southern shores so far this year, according to figures from the Interior Ministry and International Order for Migration. Italy’s right-wing Northern League party frequently blames migrants for taking resources from Italy’s parlous economy.
“It makes one cry to see the spectacle of these days in which human beings have been treated like merchandise,” the Pope said …
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[Photo by Republic of Korea/Flickr]
