Caritas welcomes Pope Francis’ visit to Lesbos
(Vatican Radio) One charity organization welcoming Pope Francis’ visit to the Greek island of Lesbos is Caritas Internationalis, the helping hand of the Catholic Church with its confederation of local aid agencies present on the ground with emergency operations, development and advocacy in more than 150 nations across the world.
A delegation from Caritas Internationalis and the local Caritas Hellas Office will be in Lesbos to greet the Pope to be with him together with the refugees and migrants waiting to be relocated.
A statement says that “Caritas has been providing emergency aid on the island through Caritas Hellas and in other hotspots in Greece since the start of the crisis last year”.
It also runs a hospitality centre in Lesbos for the most vulnerable.
“Over a million people crossed to Greece last year and 150,000 in 2016. Nearly half came to Lesbos. Most were fleeing war and poverty. Over 55 percent were women and children” it reads.
“The refugees and migrants are very excited about the visit of Pope Francis. They’re making bouquets of flowers and they want to meet him,” said Tonia Patrikiadou, Caritas Hellas Field Manager for a Caritas run hotel on Lesbos.
She said “The pope’s visit is a symbol of hope and solidarity for the refugees. It’s a sign that the world has not forgotten them and help is a possibility.”