The World Refugee & Migration Council extends its deepest sympathies to Catholics around the world. One of the highlights of Pope Francis\u2019s legacy was his longstanding commitment to addressing the plight of the world\u2019s most vulnerable, especially refugees and migrants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At a time when many of the world\u2019s richest and most powerful nations are turning their backs to the plight of the forcibly displaced, Pope Francis\u2019s Easter message<\/a> “to revive our trust in others, including those who are different than ourselves, or who come from distant lands, bringing unfamiliar customs, ways of life and ideas\u201d is one we should all take to heart and act on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As The New York Times<\/em> noted in its obituary<\/a>, Pope Francis shifted the church’s emphasis “to global problems like climate change, poverty and migration. His first papal trip out of Rome was to Lampedusa, a tiny Italian island that had become the point of arrival for thousands of African migrants crossing the Mediterranean.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pope Francis cited poverty, violence & drug trafficking as causes of migration to the U.S. https:\/\/t.co\/8hpeclMbJC<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Mz1jXu3Sh7<\/a><\/p>— New York Times World (@nytimesworld) February 18, 2016<\/a><\/blockquote>