Europe's bishops urge compassion for Libyan refugees

(April 06, 2011) The Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe is urging the nations of Europe to have compassion on the Libyan refugees who are fleeing their strife-torn land. “The soul-stirring influx of refugees arriving in Europe, especially from Libya, victims of the war, is well-known to all of us,” the bishops said in a statement on Tuesday. “Masses of refugees reach Europe on Italy’s coasts. However, the issue does not affect just one nation, but calls for the solidarity, and institutional solidarity, too, of all peoples on the European continent, as well as that of the structures of the European Union and other continental bodies.” “In every human person we must see the inalienable dignity of the creature bearing in him or herself the image of God,” the bishops added. “We are also responsible for safeguarding legal order and are respectful of the dignity of all people in the countries of our continent. We pray that arms may give way to reason and dialogue,” the Bishops Council added.