Denying aid to migrants is a ‘grave sin,’ Pope Francis says
- Pope has been vocal about supporting immigrants in US, Europe
- Working to reject migrants, Francis said this week, is a 'grave sin'
- He previously slammed Texas' efforts to shut down charity helping migrants
Pope Francis meets some 160 priests who have been ordained for between11 and 39 years at the Salesian Pontifical University on June 11, 2024 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
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(NewsNation) — Pope Francis said those who deny help to migrants are committing a “grave sin” during his weekly general audience in Rome.
“There are those who work systematically and with every means to reject migrants,” the pontiff said Wednesday in St. Peter’s Square. “And this, when done with conscience and responsibility, is a grave sin.”
Reuters reported that the pope was speaking about the treatment of migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea to enter Europe. According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 30,000 of the immigrants making the trek have gone missing since 2014.
During his audience, Francis acknowledged the danger migrants face, saying routes they take are “often marked by crossings of seas and deserts, which for many, too many people — too many — are deadly,” The National Desk reported.
“Brothers and sisters, we can all agree on one thing: migrants should not be in those seas and in those lethal deserts,” he added. “But it is not through more restrictive laws, it is not with the militarization of borders, it is not with rejection that we will obtain this result.”
Francis has spoken out about migration multiple times and criticized how officials in both the United States and Europe have handled the issue.
When asked about Texas trying to shut down a Catholic charity on the U.S.-Mexico border giving migrants humanitarian assistance, Francis told CBS News that it is “madness.” A district court judge earlier this year denied Texas’ request for the charity to sit for a sworn deposition.
“To close the border and leave them there, that is madness,” he said in a May interview on “60 Minutes.” “The migrant has to be received. Thereafter you see how you are going to deal with him. Maybe you have to send him back, I don’t know, but each case ought to be considered humanely. Right?”
Reuters contributed to this report.
