SENT TO NICOSIA. “We complain when we read the stories of the concentration camps of the last century, of the Nazis, of Stalin.” How could this happen? ” But it is also happening today, in the nearby beaches, a bridge of slavery. “Pope Francis exclaims him speaking” off the cuff “during the ecumenical prayer with migrants in Nicosia, on his second day of visit to Cyprus before going to Greece. watched some testimonies filmed: stories of torture. I say this because it is my job to open our eyes. It is the war of this moment, it is the suffering of brothers and sisters. And we cannot remain silent “.
And in the last capital divided into two parts by a wall, the Green Line, the Pope says, still without reading the written text: “Excuse me, but I would like to say what I have in my heart: the barbed wire, but this is a war of hate that a country lives, but they also end up in other parts where they put themselves in order not to let the refugee in, the one who comes to ask for freedom, bread, help, brotherhood, joy, who is fleeing from hatred is faced with a hatred that it’s called barbed wire ». The Bishop of Rome hopes «that the Lord will awaken the conscience of all of us in the face of these things. We cannot be silent and look the other way in this culture of indifference ».
The Pope cites the case of “when the interests of groups, or political interests, even of nations, push many of us to remain on one side, unwittingly, slaves: because interest always enslaves, always creates slaves. Love, which is contrary to hatred, makes us free ».
And as a sign “of the Holy Father’s concern for families and migrants, the Apostolic Journey to Cyprus will be accompanied in the coming weeks by a humanitarian gesture of welcoming about 12 refugees, some of whom the Pope greeted this evening at the end of the meeting. of ecumenical prayer with migrants “. This is what the Vatican Press Office reports confirming, but only in part, the news already circulated: the 12 refugees, in fact, would constitute only the first tranche of the relocation, while others will follow between January and February up to a total of 50 people. Their transfer and “reception will be made possible thanks to an agreement between the Secretariat of State, the Italian and Cypriot authorities, and the collaboration with the Section for Migrants and Refugees of the Holy See and the Community of Sant’Egidio”.
The Bishop of Rome wants to address “a big” thank you “from the heart” to the four young migrants whose testimonies he heard of great wounds and suffering, but also dreams and hopes, from which he said he was “moved”: one, Mariamie Besala Welo, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, then Thamara da Silva from Sri Lanka, Maccolins Ewoukap Nfongock from Cameroon and Rozh Najeeb from Iraq. “ì« Your presence, migrant brothers and sisters, is very significant for this celebration – he observes -. Your testimonies are like a “mirror” for us, Christian communities. “According to Francis,” the brutality of migration puts the our identity. “But” we should not be afraid of the differences between us, but rather our closures and our prejudices, which prevent us from truly meeting and walking together. The closures and prejudices rebuild between us that wall of separation that Christ has broken down, that is, enmity. “In this world, he highlights” we are used to the culture of indifference, the culture of looking the other way, and falling asleep. “God speaks” through your dreams – he adds – He also calls us not to resign ourselves to a divided world, with divided Christian communities, but walking through history attracted by the dream of God: a humanity without walls of separation, freed from enmity, without strangers but only fellow citizens. ” yes, «of course, and proud of our peculiarities, which are a gift of God, different, proud of being so, but reconciled fellow citizens. May this island, marked by a painful division, become with the grace of God a laboratory of fraternity ». Cyprus is “generous, but it cannot do everything. It cannot respond to the need to welcome and integrate everyone who arrives. We have to understand the limits ».
For the Pope, “hatred has also polluted our relations between Christians. And this leaves its mark, a deep mark that lasts a long time. It is a poison that is difficult to detoxify from. It is a distorted mentality, which instead of being recognized as brothers, makes us see us as opponents, as rivals, if not as an object to be sold or exploited ».