Pope, on Christmas Eve, says faith demands respect of immigrants

[webfact]

Pope, on Christmas Eve, says faith demands respect of immigrants

By Philip Pullella

 

Pope Francis arrives during the traditional midnight Mass in St. Peter's Basilica on Christmas Eve at the Vatican December 24, 2017. REUTERS/Tony Gentile

 

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis strongly defended immigrants at his Christmas Eve Mass on Sunday, comparing them to Mary and Joseph finding no place to stay in Bethlehem and saying faith demands that foreigners be welcomed.

 

Francis, celebrating his fifth Christmas as leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics, led a solemn Mass for about 10,000 people in St. Peter's Basilica while many others followed the service from the square outside.

 

Security was stepped up, with participants checked as they approached St. Peter's Square even before going through metal detectors to enter the basilica. The square had been cleared out hours earlier so security procedures could be put in place.

 

The Gospel reading at the Mass in Christendom's largest church recounted the Biblical story of how Mary and Joseph had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be registered for a census ordered by Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus.

 

"So many other footsteps are hidden in the footsteps of Joseph and Mary. We see the tracks of entire families forced to set out in our own day. We see the tracks of millions of persons who do not choose to go away, but driven from their land, leave behind their dear ones," Francis said.

 

Even the shepherds who the Bible says were the first to see the child Jesus were "forced to live on the edges of society" and considered dirty, smelly foreigners, he said. "Everything about them generated mistrust. They were men and women to be kept at a distance, to be feared."

 

"NEW SOCIAL IMAGINATION"

 

Wearing white vestments in the flower-bedecked church, Francis called for a "new social imagination ... in which none have to feel that there is no room for them on this earth."

 

The 81-year-old pope, who was born of Italian immigrant stock in Argentina, has made defence of migrants a major plank of his papacy, often putting him at odds with politicians.

 

Austria's new chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, has aligned himself with central European neighbours like Hungary and the Czech Republic in opposing German-backed proposals to distribute asylum seekers around EU member states.

 

In elections in Germany in September, the far-right and anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party made significant gains, with electors punishing Chancellor Angela Merkel for her open-door policy and pushing migration policy to the top of the agenda in talks to form a coalition government.

 

Italy's anti-immigrant Northern League, whose leader Matteo Salvini often gives fiery speeches against migrants, is expected to make gains in national elections next year. A law that would give citizenship to children born in Italy to migrant parents is stalled in parliament.

 

In his homily, Francis said, "Our document of citizenship" comes from God, making respect of migrants an integral part of Christianity.

 

"This is the joy that we tonight are called to share, to celebrate and to proclaim. The joy with which God, in his infinite mercy, has embraced us pagans, sinners and foreigners, and demands that we do the same," Francis said.

 

Francis also condemned human traffickers who make money off desperate migrants as the "Herods of today" with blood on their hands, a reference to the Biblical story of the king who ordered the killing of all newborn male children near Bethlehem because he feared Jesus would one day displace him.

 

More than 14,000 people have died trying to make the perilous crossing of the Mediterranean to Europe in the past four years.

 

On Christmas Day, Francis will deliver his twice-yearly "Urbi et Orbi" (To the City and to the World) blessing and message from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.

 

(Reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by Leslie Adler)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-12-25

[Coconutman]

How many immigrants live on vatican city, ZERO

[lupin]

3 minutes ago, Coconutman said:

How many immigrants live on vatican city, ZERO

 and here's a dimwit that slammed Trump's big wall in the media ....... while living safely behind a big wall.

[lannarebirth]

10 minutes ago, Coconutman said:

How many immigrants live on vatican city, ZERO

Or looked at another way, EVERYONE.

[simple1]

1 hour ago, Coconutman said:

How many immigrants live on vatican city, ZERO

Incorrect.

 

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/04/03/the_vatican_welcomes_new_refugee_families_from_syria/1303148

[ezzra]

The Pop, yeah, one of the most powerful person in the world, was very politically correct when visiting Burma recently not mentioning or addressing the plight of the Rohingya people, never mind that hundreds of thousands were displaced, murdered or sold for slavery, but the Pop wouldn't utter a word of condemnations, the Pop is the guardian and moral  compass for all religions, but it seems in this case the Rohingya people don't  count, as if  they're thin air  just not to upset the dear Burmese junta....

 

[lannarebirth]

2 minutes ago, simple1 said:

Incorrect.

 

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/04/03/the_vatican_welcomes_new_refugee_families_from_syria/1303148

Everyone in Vatican City is an immigrant:

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/lists/surprising-facts-about-the-vatican-city/vatican-citizens/

[BuaBS]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Pope Francis strongly defended immigrants at his Christmas Eve Mass on Sunday, comparing them to Mary and Joseph finding no place to stay in Bethlehem and saying faith demands that foreigners be welcomed.

I feel sick !

[bert bloggs]

Mary and Joseph were not there to scrounge of the country the run away to ,and then try to change it back to the holes they came from .

[Dexlowe]

The ugly head of an ugly organization ... yeah, right. As if we need a moral compass from such a person. The Vatican welcomes three refugee families, of which two are Christian, and believes it is righteous and good, and can lecture the rest of the world on its moral obligations (Hello Mother Theresa!). 

[Dexlowe]

2 minutes ago, bert bloggs said:

Mary and Joseph were not there to scrounge of the country the run away to ,and then try to change it back to the holes they came from .

What on earth are you saying. You are referring to a novel, not an historical tract.

[JHolmesJr]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Pope, on Christmas Eve, says faith demands respect of immigrants

 

put them up in the vatican then, Pops.

[bert bloggs]

47 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

 

put them up in the vatican then, Pops.

Yup ,i will respect them ,the day they respect us , or when hell freezes over.whichever comes first

[simple1]

15 hours ago, ezzra said:

The Pop, yeah, one of the most powerful person in the world, was very politically correct when visiting Burma recently not mentioning or addressing the plight of the Rohingya people, never mind that hundreds of thousands were displaced, murdered or sold for slavery, but the Pop wouldn't utter a word of condemnations, the Pop is the guardian and moral compass for all religions, but it seems in this case the Rohingya people don't count, as if  they're thin air  just not to upset the dear Burmese junta....

 

You do know that ethic Christians had until very recently been in armed conflict with the Myanmar regime for decades? It had been reported the Pope did not make direct reference to Rohingya whilst in Myanmar due to concern for local Christian's security. The Pope did reference Rohingya in Bangladesh.

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-42193813

[baboon]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

 

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis strongly defended immigrants at his Christmas Eve Mass on Sunday, comparing them to Mary and Joseph finding no place to stay in Bethlehem and saying faith demands that foreigners be welcomed.

 

For a start, Mary and Joseph weren't abroad. As for finding no place to stay, well what the bloody hell would they expect, travelling over the Christmas period? Sheesh....

[attrayant]

Xmas nativity scene after all the immigrants have been removed:

 

 

We're left with sheep being lead by a jackass.  How apropos.

[lannarebirth]

16 minutes ago, attrayant said:

Xmas nativity scene after all the immigrants have been removed:

 

 

We're left with sheep being lead by a jackass.  How apropos.

 

Looks like a politically correct nativity scene.

[4737 Carlin]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

"So many other footsteps are hidden in the footsteps of Joseph and Mary. We see the tracks of entire families forced to set out in our own day."

No - we see thousands of young, military-age men marching through Europe looking to parasite the resources of the most gullible nations.

[connda]

I'll believe the Pope when Vatican City opens its borders to uncontrolled immigration just like the Pope is expecting all other Western countries to do.

Ain't gonna happen is it? So, enough with the rhetorical hypocrisy.

[the guest]

All these people in funny costumes, what a sham !

[welovethailand]

The Vatican says they are the real church, yet all his actions appear to be a-n-t-i-c-h-r-i-s-t

[Rimmer]

A post using a derogatory name has been reported and has now been removed

[dick dasterdly]

Thankfully, nowadays the pope is gradually becoming an irrelevance.  I doubt even most catholics believe he is infallible/ordained by god.

[jayboy]

5 hours ago, simple1 said:

You do know that ethic Christians had until very recently been in armed conflict with the Myanmar regime for decades? It had been reported the Pope did not make direct reference to Rohingya whilst in Myanmar due to concern for local Christian's security. The Pope did reference Rohingya in Bangladesh.

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-42193813

It's no good.Ezzra's post while simpleminded and inaccurate will certainly be "liked" by the woollier elements on the forum.They don't do nuance.They don't read serious press reports.They don't bother with experts' analysis.It's always the quick off the cuff reaction that flies round the social media world.Your very reasonable observation is too "difficult" for these people to take on board - but I admire your effort in trying.

[lungbing]

South America being mostly catholic, and the Pope being Argentinian by birth, how many immigrants have  South America taken.

[thaibeachlovers]

Hmmmmm. Didn't Jesus have something to say about rich people selling all they have and giving to the poor. I'd say he could start by selling the expensive clothes he's wearing and feeding the poor himself.

However, just another bloke in a funny hat say "do as I say, not as I do".

[welovethailand]

As it goes: There's no hope in the pope

[bert bloggs]

Another thing Mary was pregnant and Joseph went back to his birthplace with her to register for the census and then was returning back home .

[Credo]

6 hours ago, lungbing said:

South America being mostly catholic, and the Pope being Argentinian by birth, how many immigrants have  South America taken.

They have a long history of taking immigrants.   Look at all the former Nazis who long and contented lives there.

 

As noted in previous posts, the Vatican has taken refugees.   I suppose that the Pope  could tell all the Churches to become sanctuaries for refugees.   That would cause quite a stir.   

[Scouse123]

When are the countries that these ' refugees ' originate going to show the same tolerance and respect for other religions and welcome their followers and not attack them, ransack their places of worship, kill them as apostates, etc. ??

 

Answer: Never.

 

There are 57 Muslim states, that surely is enough to look after their own? After all, don't they allegedly follow the same values and believe in the same rules and laws?? They would not have to accept or look at the shameful Western ways.

 

Ah, that's right, they can't even agree amongst themselves which is the right and true path.