Visit with the refugees at Lesbo

“I come to bring you hope.  Refugees ae faces and stories, and not numbers.”  These are the words of Pope Francis in his moving visit among the refugees on the Greek island Lesbo.  Five hours filled with encounters, glances, embraces.  There were many touching moments, above all in the refugee camp of Mòria, where the Pope greeted children, women, and men, accepting their tears, their hopes, and their requests for help.  The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartolomeo I shared this visit of solidarity with the Pope, as did the Orthodox Archbishop of Athens and all of Greece, Ieronymos.  The visit to Lesbo was the occasion to send out a strong joint appeal to the international community to mobilize defenses without hesitation in order to protect human lives and combat the causes of the flight of entire populations.  The Holy Father reentered Rome just before 16:30.  Before returning to the Vatican, he made his traditional stop to pray at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major.