Pope Francis invited a dozen refugees to appear with him on the steps of St Peter’s Basilica during his general audience in Rome today.
The twelve asylum seekers, who carried banners representing the charity caring for them in Rome - Caritas - and Vatican flags, sat in front of the Holy Father as he delivered his weekly catechetical lesson urging Europe to welcome more refugees.
Days ago the Pope took in a further nine Syrian refugees, adding to the twelve that were brought over to the Vatican from Lesbos in April. He has made care for the poor and disenfranchised a hallmark of his pontificate.
In his address Francis said: "Please they are our brothers. A Christian excludes no one. I ask all of you: Let everyone come."
He spoke from the Gospel of Luke about the leper who was healed by Jesus as a sign of God’s mercy and forgiveness. As Jesus reached out and touched the unclean man, he said, so we must never be afraid to reach out and touch the poor and those most in need.
Figures released yesterday by the UN estimate that globally there were 65.3 million refugees and internally displaced people at the end of 2015.
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