Pope Francis disembarked in Athens, Greece, this Saturday (4) for the second stage of a visit to the Mediterranean that aims to draw attention to the situation of migrants and refugees.
After a two-day visit to Cyprus, the pope traveled to Greece, one of the main points of entry into the European Union for asylum seekers fleeing war and poverty-stricken countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
Small children in traditional Greek dress, a boy from Africa and a girl from the Philippines greeted Francisco as he got off the plane.
The pontiff, who made the defense of immigrants and refugees one of the main agendas of his papacy, will travel to the island of Lesbos for the second time this Sunday (5) to visit an immigrant reception center created after the notorious camp of Moria was destroyed by fire last year.
During an earlier visit to the island in 2016, Francisco walked through Moria, a camp condemned by human rights groups for its miserable and overcrowded conditions. At the time, immigrants and asylum seekers begged for help.
Memorably, he took three Syrian refugee families with him on the plane back to Rome. The pope has arranged for 50 immigrants from Cyprus to be relocated to Italy after his trip this week.
In an emotional meeting with asylum seekers in Cyprus on Friday, Francisco, citing conditions in Libya and elsewhere, said he had a responsibility to tell the truth about the plight of refugees — many held in conditions he compared to from the Nazi and Soviet camps.
In Athens, the pope will meet the president and prime minister of Greece, as well as young people at a Catholic school. A big mass is scheduled for Sunday night at the Athens Concert Hall.
Authorities banned protests in central Athens during the three-day visit after health workers and other groups said they planned to hold a demonstration on Saturday against mandatory vaccinations.
About 5,000 police will be sent to the streets of the capital next Monday, the last day of the pope’s visit, which coincides with the 13th anniversary of the murder of a teenager by police. The birthday often draws large crowds and violence.
Reference: CNN Brasil
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