Pope Francis has refused to meet with a group of migrants who have been sheltering in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. About 120 migrants were evicted from a squat outside Rome about two weeks ago. The group, mostly from Eastern Europe and North Africa, have asked the Pope to grant them asylum Read more
Posts Tagged ‘migrants’
3 schools join to mark World Refugee Day
Friday, June 20th, 2014
The art room at Wellesley College, Days Bay Wellington was a hive of creative activity last Thursday. Children from two schools, St Michael’s and Holy Cross joined a group of students from Wellesley College for a day of art and friendship. This was to mark UNHCR World Refugee Day on June 20. The refugee background Read more
Pope urges governments to help economic migrants travel
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2014
Pope Francis has urged governments to help economic migrants travel to wealthy counties, to defeat the scourge of human trafficking. In a letter to a meeting of the International Labour Conference, the Pope wrote that mass migration is a “grave issue”. Pope Francis called for a “concerted effort . . . to encourage governments to Read more
Creating a refuge from violence
Friday, April 11th, 2014
We live in a violent society. You can see it in popular movies, our favourite sports, the occasional spectacular act of violence that captures our collective imaginations. Wondering if David Bain did it is still a national hobby; I’ve even chatted about it over a flat white and scone at morning tea. Somehow, it’s an easy conversation. Read more
US bishops to offer Mass on Mexico border
Tuesday, March 11th, 2014
A United States cardinal and several bishops will offer Mass on the US/Mexico border for thousands of migrants who have died there. “The US/Mexico border is our Lampedusa. Migrants in this hemisphere try to reach it, but often die in the attempt,” said Bishop Eusebio Elizondo. Bishop Elizondo chairs the US bishops’ Committee on Migration. Read more
Seven Pointers for Stopping the Boats Ethically
Tuesday, October 8th, 2013Is there any ethical discussion to be had about stopping the boats, or is it just a matter of whatever it takes? Professor of law at Australian Catholic University, Fr Frank Brennan offers his seven points for stopping the boats ethically in this article first published in Eureka Street. Read More
Pope Francis hits treatment of migrants as ‘pawns’
Friday, September 27th, 2013
Pope Francis on Tuesday called on countries to protect migrants as he condemned the treatment of refugees as mere “pawns on the chessboard of humanity.’” The pope’s statement came in a message for the Vatican’s next “World Day of Migrants and Refugees,” set for January 19. “Migrants and refugees are not pawns on the chessboard Read more
Pope Francis at Lampedusa and Princess Diana
Tuesday, July 16th, 2013
It was a shipwreck of African migrants off the coast of Lampedusa, a small island in the Mediterranean, that spurred Pope Francis into action. In the past 18 months more than 500 people have died, or gone missing at sea, trying to escape Africa. The world barely noticed. Standing on Lampedusa on Monday, Francis prayed Read more
Pope makes heartfelt appeal for migrants
Friday, July 12th, 2013
In the first pastoral trip of his pontificate, Pope Francis travelled to a refugee centre in southern Italy and issued a heartfelt appeal against the “globalisation of indifference” towards migrants. The Pope said he decided to visit Lampedusa, a small island with a population of 6000 and just 70 miles from Tunisia, after seeing newspaper Read more
Call to double NZ’s refugee intake
Tuesday, June 25th, 2013
Last week, Wellingtonian Murdoch Stephens launched the Doing Our Bit Campaign, aimed at convincing New Zealanders of the need to double our refugee quota from the current 750 to 1500. “Despite being a small country in the middle of the South Pacific, New Zealand prides itself on being hospitable. We are friendly to overseas visitors Read more