‘Pope: Immigrants, forgive us’

Published on 9 July 2013 at 11:16

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On July 8, Pope Francis visited Lampedusa, the Italian island that has become the arrival point for most illegal migrants trying to reach the EU from northern Africa.

The Pontiff held a mass to celebrate the memory of the more than 18,000 people who have died trying to cross the Mediterranean and warned against the “globalisation of indifference”, reports La Repubblica.

The Pope had been carefully considering where to make his first visit, writes Adriano Sofri in the paper’s editorial, adding that with short notice and no official entourage: “He could not have made a more significant and moving choice than going to Lampedusa.”

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Hours later, five boats carrying 340 people reached the island, bringing to 559 the number of immigrants who arrived on that day alone, notes Repubblica.

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