Pope Francis’s Share the Journey campaign urging world leaders to reach an agreement on refugees has taken a new twist in Britain with an installation at London’s Westminster Cathedral.
Led by two Catholic charities, CAFOD and Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN), Share the Journey has resulted in hundreds of pairs of shoes being displayed outside the cathedral to highlight the plight of refugees.
Many of the shoes came in from refugees in Calais.
Others came from some of the 40,000 CAFOD and CSAN supporters who were inspired by Francis’s message to welcome the stranger.
In a gesture of solidarity with refugees, the supporters have walked 100,000 miles between them: this is the equivalent of over four times the distance around the world.
Francis is aiming for world leaders to agree next month to two UN Global Compacts on how to assist migrants and refugees.
Share the Journey campaign focuses on five points for world leaders to include in the global compacts:
• To protect the dignity of people on the move because of war, persecution, human rights abuses, poverty and natural disaster
• Ensure special protection for the most vulnerable people
• Ensure sufficient support to countries hosting refugees
• Support family integrity through facilitating family reunification
“We are calling on the UK Government to demand that all world leaders place human dignity at the heart of the global compact agreement on refugees signed at next month’s United Nations General Assembly,” Daniel Hale, CAFOD’s Head of Campaigns said.
“It is important to remember that most people on the move are from poor countries and most seek safety in nearby poor countries or within their own country’s borders,” Hale said.
The “tens of thousands who have taken part in the Share the Journey campaign illustrate an overwhelming response to Pope Francis’s call for us to embrace those forced from their homes by persecution and poverty,” Hale says.
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