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Pope Leo has called for “deep reflection” in the US about the treatment of migrants held in detention, saying that “many people who have lived for years and years and years, never causing problems, have been deeply affected by what is going on right now”.
The Chicago-born pope was responding late on Tuesday to a range of geopolitical questions from reporters outside the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, including what kind of spiritual rights migrants in US custody should have, US military attacks on suspected drug traffickers off Venezuela and the fragile ceasefire in the Middle East.
Leo underlined that scripture emphasised the question that would be posed at the end of the world: “How did you receive the foreigner, did you receive him and welcome him, or not? I think there is a deep reflection that needs to be made about what is happening.”
The pontiff said “the spiritual rights of people who have been detained should also be considered”, and he called on authorities to allow pastoral workers access to the detained migrants. “Many times they’ve been separated from their families. No one knows what’s happening, but their own spiritual needs should be attended to,’’ Leo said.
The pope last month urged labour union leaders visiting from Chicago to advocate for immigrants and welcome minorities into their ranks.
Asked about the lethal attacks on suspected drug traffickers off Venezuela, Leo said the military action was “increasing tension’’ and noted that they were coming even closer to the coastline.
“The thing is to seek dialogue,’’ the pope said.
On the Middle East, Leo acknowledged that the first phase of the peace accord between Israel and Hamas remained “very fragile’’ and said that the parties needed to find a way forward on future governance “and how you can guarantee the rights of all peoples”.
Asked about Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank, the pope described the settlement issue as “complex’,’ adding: “Israel has said one thing, then it’s done another sometimes. We need to try to work together for justice for all peoples.’’
Leo is due to receive the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, at the Vatican on Thursday. At the end of November he will make his first trip as pope to Turkey and Lebanon.
