Pope Francis asked again this Thursday (2) for the union of peoples and solutions to the migratory crisis that has affected Europe for years. The place chosen to deliver the statements is symbolic: the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, divided into two parts since 1974 and a gateway for thousands of refugees trying to reach the great powers of the continent.
Francisco arrived on the island at around 10 am, BrasÃlia time, and was received in the city of Larnaca, in the south of the country, to the cries of children in the region. “We love you, Pope Francis,” they said. Christians represent 78% of the Cypriot population, the vast majority following the Orthodox Church. According to the European Union, 18% of the country is Muslim and the other 4% are divided between Hindus, Jews and other religions.
The pontiff went to the Maronite Cathedral of Our Lady of Grace, in the capital Nicosia. There, he met Béchara Rai, patriarch of the church, who has ties to the Vatican and represents less than 1% of the island’s population, but is quite present in Lebanon and Syria – the origin of many of those trying to reach Europe.
In the cathedral, the pope called for the unity of peoples and said that, “to build a dignified future for human beings, it is necessary to work together, overcome divisions, break down walls and cultivate the dream of unity”.
Cyprus has been split in two for nearly 50 years. Two-thirds of the country, in the southern part, is known as the Republic of Cyprus, a member of the European Union. The other third, originating after conflicts in the 1970s, is the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (RTNC), recognized only by Turkey.
Amidst the conflict that continues to this day, the capital Nicosia is the only one in the world still divided by a wall.
The pope also commented on the crisis faced by Europe for years in relation to immigrants from Africa and Asia who are fleeing poverty or political and military conflicts in search of a better life on the European continent.
“We need to welcome and integrate, walk together”, he added, saying that the Mediterranean —one of the main roads used by refugees— is “a sea that was the cradle of so many civilizations and where people, peoples and cultures from all over the world still disembark. “.
Cyprus is the EU country closest to the Middle East and, like others located in the Mediterranean, such as Greece, Malta and Italy, it feels the consequences of the arrival of millions of refugees on the continent.
In November, the island announced that, in the first ten months of the year, 10,868 immigrants entered the country — more than 9,000 of them arrived after crossing the demilitarized border between the two republics.
According to the Cypriot government, negotiations are underway with the Vatican for the transfer of immigrant families to Italy, as happened in 2016, during the Pope’s visit to the Greek island of Lesbos, when he took three Syrian families to Rome. This time, it is expected that Francisco will manage to take 50 people.
In addition, this Thursday, 36 NGOs defending human rights asked Francisco to act to prevent expulsions of immigrants on the border between Greece and Turkey.
A few meters from the cathedral, people gathered to watch the pope’s speech on television. “I came to listen to his heart. A heart that is full of respect, dignity, human rights and that seeks to address the problems of immigrants,” Christian Avril Fortuin, 57, told AFP news agency.
The pope also commented on the economic and social crisis faced by Lebanon, a country neighboring Cyprus – it is estimated that more than a thousand Lebanese traveled to follow the pontiff’s speech on the island. “I feel the pain of the people, tired and affected by violence and suffering,” Francisco said.
Later, the pope met with President Nicos Anastasiades, with whom he spoke about the conflict on the island. “The path to peace, which heals conflicts and regenerates the beauty of brotherhood, is marked with a word: dialogue”, Francis said.
The president of the area linked to the Turks, Ersin Tatar, however, accused the country’s authorities of using the visit for “political purposes against Turkey and the RTNC”. The vast majority of the Turkish population is Muslim.
This is the second time a pope has been to the island; the first was in 2010, when Benedict was still the head of the Catholic Church. The visit is part of a five-day trip, which will also include Francisco’s trip to Greece. On Friday (3), the pope will celebrate mass in a stadium in Nicosia, where about 7,000 faithful are expected, and will perform a prayer with immigrants in a location near the demilitarized region between the two parts of the island. More than 500 police officers will follow the event.
Since becoming pope, Francis has been keen to bring conflicts involving refugees into the debate. In September, on a trip to Slovakia and Hungary, he criticized society’s individualism and selfishness, making clear the Catholic Church’s support for welcoming immigrants to European countries.
“May this country reaffirm the message of integration and peace and may Europe be distinguished by a solidarity that, crossing borders, can take it back to the center of history,” he said in Bratislava.
Days earlier, in Budapest – the seat of government of Viktor Orbán, Hungarian anti-immigration prime minister –, the pope had also defended the opening of the continent.
“The cross, connected to the ground, not only invites us to be rooted, but also extends its arms to everyone,” he said. “My wish is for you to be like this: grounded and open, rooted and respectful.”
.
