Agencies, Vatican City :
Pope Francis has called on every European parish, religious community, monastery and sanctuary to take in one refugee family, as thousands of people from war-torn countries continued to stream into Germany via Austria.
The pope said on Sunday the Vatican would open its doors to two refugee families, but provided few details as he addressed tens of thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square.
Francis said it was not enough to say, “Have courage, hang in there”, to the hundreds of thousands of refugees who are on the march toward what he called “life’s hope”.
He called on every Catholic parish, convent, monastery and sanctuary in Europe to shelter a family, and asked bishops throughout Europe to urge their dioceses to do the same.
His comments came after about 8,000 refugees arrived in Munich over the past two days, with a further 8,000 expected to arrive on Sunday.
They seemed dazed by the calls of “Welcome to Munich”, from the few dozen well-wishers remaining at around midnight, as well as by their determination to thrust chocolate bars, bananas or bread rolls into their hands.
Budapest has been heavily criticised for its position, but the country’s foreign minister, Peter Szijjarto, said Hungary should not be blamed for adhering to the EU rules.
A “failed migration policy of the European Union” and “the series of some irresponsible statements made by European politicians” were to blame for the crisis, Szijjarto said.
EU foreign ministers met in Luxembourg on Saturday to brainstorm possible solutions, but the usual diplomatic conviviality unravelled as they failed to agree on any practical steps out of the crisis.
Ministers were especially at odds over proposals for country-by-country quotas to take in asylum seekers. “Given the challenges facing our German friends as well, all of Europe needs to wake up,” Austrian Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner said.
“Whoever still thinks that withdrawal from the EU or a barbed wire fence around Austria will solve the problem is wrong.”
Pope Francis has called on every European parish, religious community, monastery and sanctuary to take in one refugee family, as thousands of people from war-torn countries continued to stream into Germany via Austria.
The pope said on Sunday the Vatican would open its doors to two refugee families, but provided few details as he addressed tens of thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square.
Francis said it was not enough to say, “Have courage, hang in there”, to the hundreds of thousands of refugees who are on the march toward what he called “life’s hope”.
He called on every Catholic parish, convent, monastery and sanctuary in Europe to shelter a family, and asked bishops throughout Europe to urge their dioceses to do the same.
His comments came after about 8,000 refugees arrived in Munich over the past two days, with a further 8,000 expected to arrive on Sunday.
They seemed dazed by the calls of “Welcome to Munich”, from the few dozen well-wishers remaining at around midnight, as well as by their determination to thrust chocolate bars, bananas or bread rolls into their hands.
Budapest has been heavily criticised for its position, but the country’s foreign minister, Peter Szijjarto, said Hungary should not be blamed for adhering to the EU rules.
A “failed migration policy of the European Union” and “the series of some irresponsible statements made by European politicians” were to blame for the crisis, Szijjarto said.
EU foreign ministers met in Luxembourg on Saturday to brainstorm possible solutions, but the usual diplomatic conviviality unravelled as they failed to agree on any practical steps out of the crisis.
Ministers were especially at odds over proposals for country-by-country quotas to take in asylum seekers. “Given the challenges facing our German friends as well, all of Europe needs to wake up,” Austrian Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner said.
“Whoever still thinks that withdrawal from the EU or a barbed wire fence around Austria will solve the problem is wrong.”
