IMAGE: CNS photo/Jon Nazca, Reuters
By Junno Arocho Esteves
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — With the rising death toll of migrants and refugees attempting
the treacherous voyage across the Mediterranean Sea, Pope Francis urged
world leaders to act to prevent further tragedy.
“I make
a heartfelt appeal to
the international community to act decisively and promptly in order to prevent
such tragedies from recurring and to guarantee the safety, respect for the
rights and dignity of all,” the pope said July 22 after reciting the
Angelus prayer with an estimated 25,000 people gathered in St. Peter’s Square.
According to the International Organization for Migration’s
Missing Migrant Project, an estimated 1,490 migrants have died in the Mediterranean
Sea this year. The pope expressed his pain “in the midst of such
tragedies” and offered
his prayers “for the missing and their families.”
In Italy, Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has barred several
rescue ships from docking and has vowed to stop any foreign boats carrying
rescued migrants into the country. The move has hampered rescue efforts of
migrants trying to escape
war, violence, persecution and poverty.
Before making his appeal, the pope reflected on the day’s
Gospel reading in which Jesus invites his disciples to rest after their first
mission, but the
gathering of a large crowd prevents them from relaxing and eating.
“The same thing can happen today as well,” the pope
said. “Sometimes we don’t succeed in carrying out our plans because something urgent occurs that
messes up our plans and requires flexibility and availability to the needs of
others.”
In those situations, he continued, Christians are called to
imitate Jesus who wasn’t upset but rather was compassionate toward the people because
“they were like sheep without a shepherd.”
“Jesus’ gaze isn’t a neutral gaze or, worse, cold and
distant because Jesus always looks with the eyes of the heart. And his heart is
so tender and full of compassion that he is able to see even the most hidden
needs of people,” the pope said.
The same compassion, he added, is the “behavior and
predisposition of God toward humankind and its history.”
“With Jesus at our side, we can proceed safely, we can
be overcome trials, we can progress in love toward God and toward our neighbor.
Jesus has made himself a gift for others, becoming a model of love and service
for each one of us,” Pope Francis said.
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