Monday, May 6, 2019

Bulgaria: Visiting with refugees

This morning, the Holy Father, Pope Francis left the Apostolic Nunciature in Sofia and travelled by car to the Vrazhdebna Refugee Centre located on the peripheries of the city.


Upon his arrival, at 8:25am local time (1:25am EDT), the Pope was welcomed by the Director of the Centre and by the Director of Caritas at the main entrance to the structure.  Then, he went to the refectory (dining room) where approximately 50 persons, including parents and children were gathered.  The children who are present at this Centre are from Syria and Iraq.


After a brief greeting offered by one of the volunteers, a song which was sung by the children and the presentation of some drawings done by the little ones, the Holy Father greeted the families who have been welcomed at the Centre and offered them a few words.  His Holiness then imparted his blessing and departed, travelling on to the International Airport in Sofia where he boarded a flight to Plovdiv.


Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
offered to refugees

Thank you very much for your welcome.  Thank you to the children, for their very beautiful song.  They bring joy to your journey.  Your journey is not always beautiful, and then there is the suffering of having left your country behind and having to try to fit into another country ... This is always the same experience ... Today, the world of migrants and refugees is a little bit of a cross, a cross for humanity, it is the cross that many people are suffering ... I thank you, for your good will, and I wish you all the best, for you and for your fellow citizens who you have left behind in your countries.  May God bless you and please pray for me.
Original text in Italian
Texte en français

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