The Peterborough Examiner e-edition

Vatican takes in 12 migrants; Pope denounces indifference

Pope Francis on Friday denounced the “culture of indifference” that the West shows migrants as the Vatican confirmed that at least a dozen asylum-seekers would be transferred from Cyprus to Italy in a gesture of solidarity with European countries that have received a disproportionate share of would-be refugees.

The transfer, formally announced on the second day of Francis’ visit to Cyprus, came on the eve of his scheduled arrival in Greece, from where he brought a dozen Syrian Muslim refugees home with him aboard the papal plane in 2016.

The Vatican said the Rome-based Sant’Egidio Community, working with governments, had arranged to bring the asylum-seekers from Cyprus to Italy in the coming weeks. It said 12 people would be initially transferred. Cyprus’ interior minister, Nicos Nouris, insisted that arrangements had been made to transfer 50 asylum-seekers in total.

Francis himself didn’t confirm the initiative during a Friday evening prayer service

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2021-12-04T08:00:00.0000000Z

2021-12-04T08:00:00.0000000Z

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