Pope Francis plans dramatic pro-immigrant outing

[yeats]

For Europeans, especially Italians, the southern Mediterranean island of Lampedusa has become what the deserts along the Mexican/U.S. border have long been for Americans -- the scene of appalling humanitarian tragedies as desperate migrants try to reach a better life as well as a metaphor for political and cultural tensions over immigration policy

Comments

[starzangelus]

Survivors said they clung to a giant tuna net being dragged behind a nearby Tunisian fishing boat, only to watch the crew cut the net when some of the migrants tried to climb aboard.

What kind of disgusting people do this? Is this what the world has come to? You see people in the sea, almost drowning, in danger because of possible carnivorous marine life, and you think, "Oh, look. Some filthy immigrants trying to sneak into our land. Let them die."

[tabaqui]

For fuck's sake.

[zinnia_rose]

Actually...that's probably pretty much exactly what they think.

[poetic_pixie_13]

The world has always been like this, tbqh. Migrants, immigrants and refugees are always used as scapegoats during times of social, political or economic upheaval and are very easily stripped of their humanity by a lot of people. It's easy to convince people who are already upset, angry and afraid about what's most precious to them, their families, are feeling all this because of some encroaching Other. Family is intrinsically tied to what we consider 'home' and a threat to one is a threat to the other. It's easy to justify a lot of things when you think that that's what you're protecting.

Of course, this ignores the fact that most of these migrants are, in one way or another, fuelled by that same desire to protect their families and give them security. Because compassion is hard and bigotry is pretty simple.

[tabaqui]

This guy is...interesting. I'm not giving him a pass, but he seems to be more human than the last few popes. We shall see.

[evilnel]

I really love what he is trying to do. I think it remains to be seen how it will all pan out, especially on the gay rights issue, since he has not be traditionally super friendly toward gay people (like at all), but I LOVE that he is like 'ehf this pomp, I'm a religious leader, and the point of a religious leader is to SERVE OTHERS.' You never know what is in somebody's heart but I like what I am seeing from him so far.

[tabaqui]

Exactly. It always boggled my mind that the pope could go prancing around in gold and fancy robes with all this money and power and see 'his people' starving and hurting and say stuff like 'don't use condoms!!'

Just...you practically sleep on a gold bed, and you think the best thing you can do for your followers is tell them have more kids and get stds? Really? That's *all* you can do with the accumulated wealth and power of the friggin' church?

[elialshadowpine]

Yes, I have to agree here. I don't expect to love everything that he says or does, but, I do greatly respect his actions here, and think that it is incredibly sad that this is something we should be surprised by a religious leader doing.

[poetic_pixie_13]

Well, shit, good on Pope Francis. Reading this actually made me start to tear up a bit. Undocumented immigrants and refugees are just so completely dehumanized and it's wonderful to see someone with that kind of political power actually reach out to them and recognize their struggles and suffering.

[spiritoftherain]

He's doing what no one expects the Pope to be doing anymore. Not even his own "gatekeeper."

[escherzo]

Should be doing, sure. But the fact is, most religious leaders aren't doing anything like this. And it's worth considering, too, that Catholicism is growing very rapidly in many parts of Africa, and a visit from the Pope may be hugely significant to some of the migrants that he'll be visiting.