2016-04-15 16:42:00

Lesbos volunteer: hopes Pope will denounce deportations


(Vatican Radio) A Caritas volunteer says there is great excitement about Pope Francis’ visit to the island and said he hopes the Pope will speak out against the injustice of the deportations of refugees and migrants to Turkey under the deal between the EU and Ankara. British-born Leonard Meachim was interviewed by Susy Hodges just hours before the papal visit to Lesbos was due to start. 

Listen to the interview with Leonard Meachim, a volunteer for both Caritas and JRS, on the island of Lesbos: 

As a member of the small Catholic community on Lesbos, Meachim said there’s great excitement over this papal visit, the first ever to the island, and described the huge interest by the global media who have come to Lesbos to cover this visit by Pope Francis and the spiritual leader of the Orthodox world, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I. 

Asked what message he would like to hear from Pope Francis during his 6-hour stay on Lesbos, Meachim said he hopes the Pope will “speak out on behalf of the refugees and call for the "best possible treatment of them," adding “I think that’s why he's coming.”

“I hope he (the Pope) may talk also perhaps about the injustice of the deportations,” (of the migrants and refugees who are being sent back to Turkey under the terms of the recent deal between the EU and Turkey either because they have had their asylum claim rejected or because they did not make a claim).

Meachim said he also was hoping that Pope Francis would stress the need for us “to show solidarity and welcome them as refugees coming from very difficult situations.” 








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