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.

Most shocking examples of Chinese espionage uncovered by the US this year: ‘Just the tip of the iceberg’

Crime lords turn Motor City into car-theft supermarket for Middle East buyers: ‘Somebody’s getting paid’

LeBron’s Friend and Head Coach Eviscerates His Team After Christmas Meltdown: ‘Don’t Care Enough to Be a Professional’

Leftist Celebrity Scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson Gets Roasted After He Tries to Debunk Timeless Tale of Rudolph on Christmas Eve

Is Gavin Newsom’s social media strategy starting to get stale?

If You Live in One of These 19 States, Get Out for the Sake of Your Kids: They’re Suing HHS Over ‘Gender-Affirming Care’ Ban

Florida man allegedly steals 400 pounds of avocados to buy Christmas presents for children

Kamala Cries Sexism, Proves Why She’s Not Fit to Be a Leader: ‘I Don’t Aspire to Be Humble’

‘Perception vs. reality’: Trump’s economy picks up speed — but voters aren’t buying it yet

Trump and former Fulton County codefendants plan to hold Fani Willis to ‘maximum legal accountability’

Nude burglar arrested on Christmas night after allegedly breaking into two luxury Florida homes

Former Florida law enforcement officer accused of forcing 6-year-old underwater in hotel pool: report

California family revives beloved Christmas tradition with surprise sleepover visit

$220 Million Green Bay Packers Star Sparks Controversy After Christmas Gifting Revelation

Trump to Meet Zelenskyy at Mar-a-Lago ‘to Work Out Issues as Much as Possible’

“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.”