Pope on Moria migrants, alludes to Minsk protests

Pope Francis on Sunday expressed solidarity with the thousands of migrants who had been left homeless by the fires at a refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos.

During his noontime blessing, Francis recalled that he had visited the Moria camp during his April 16, 2016 visit to Lesbos, a day trip that ended with Francis bringing 12 Syrian refugees with him back to Rome aboard the papal plane.

"I express solidarity and proximity to all the victims of these dramatic events,” Francis, who has frequently spoken out for the humane treatment of migrants, said during his noontime blessing in Vatican City.

Fires on Tuesday and Wednesday nights gutted Moria, Greece’s largest refugee camp.

Authorities have said residents protesting a lockdown imposed after a coronavirus outbreak deliberately set the blazes.

Greek authorities said on Sunday some 12,000 migrants would be moved to an army-built tent city in the coming days.

Though brief, Francis' 2016 visit to Moria was one of the most memorable foreign trips of his seven-year papacy.

He toured the camp with the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, and they issued a joint statement urging the world to respond to the migration crisis with urgent, practical resources.

Speaking from his studio window overlooking St. Peter's Square the Pope also appealed to leaders in countries where there have been protests in recent weeks.

The Pontiff asked them to "listen to the voice of their fellow citizens and to meet their just aspirations by ensuring full respect for human rights and civil liberties", and urged protesters to demonstrate peacefully.