Pope Francis: Migrants and Refugees Are ‘Emblems of Exclusion’

Pope Francis said Monday that migrants represent all those who are excluded, oppressed, and marginalized in today’s society.

In his annual message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, the pope offered a series of reflections revolving around the theme: “It is not just about migrants.”

It’s not just about migrants, he said. It’s about “our fears”; it’s about “charity”; it’s about “our humanity”; it’s about “seeing that no one is excluded”; it’s about “putting the last in the first place”; it’s about “the whole person, about all people”; it’s about “building the city of God and man”; it’s about “all of us, and about the present and future of the human family.”

“The most economically advanced societies are witnessing a growing trend towards extreme individualism which, combined with a utilitarian mentality and reinforced by the media, is producing a ‘globalization of indifference,’” the pope said.

Voice of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck Dies Suddenly at Age 46

Trump-appointed judge slams door on DOJ as court losses pile up days ahead of midterms

Ilhan Omar joins ‘polarizing and dangerous’ streamer at campaign event despite Democratic backlash

Bull rider’s final ride turns deadly when beast throws him off and stomps on his chest

Singer Alters National Anthem Lyrics Before NFL Game to Send Pro-Immigrant Message

Watch: Ilhan Omar, AOC Unexpectedly Show up on Football Fans’ TVs, Making Racist, Anti-White Comments Many Voters Had Never Heard

Alaska Dem Senate candidate suffers minor injuries in car crash, forcing her to skip campaign events

Obama’s Saddam Hussein Jab at Trump’s Ornate WH Backfires as Critics Point Out He Built a ‘Wizard Prison’

Tallahassee police arrest 15-year-old suspect after shooting near Florida A&M football stadium

Dem Senate hopeful rejects Schumer but benefits from millions in spending by his allies

What are the most expensive midterm races?

“In this scenario, migrants, refugees, displaced persons and victims of trafficking have become emblems of exclusion,” he said. “In addition to the hardships that their condition entails, they are often looked down upon and considered the source of all society’s ills.”

“That is why it is not just about migrants,” he said. “When we show concern for them, we also show concern for ourselves, for everyone; in taking care of them, we all grow; in listening to them, we also give voice to a part of ourselves that we may keep hidden because it is not well regarded nowadays.”

In his message, the pope reiterated his conviction that resistance to mass migration is fueled by fear.

“The signs of meanness we see around us heighten our fear of ‘the other,’ the unknown, the marginalized, the foreigner,” he said. “We see this today in particular, faced with the arrival of migrants and refugees knocking on our door in search of protection, security and a better future.”

These doubts and fears “condition our way of thinking and acting to the point of making us intolerant, closed and perhaps even – without realizing it – racist,” he said. “In this way, fear deprives us of the desire and the ability to encounter the other, the person different from myself.”