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.

Post-Maduro, pressure builds on Mexico over Cuba’s new oil lifeline

Trump’s immigration crackdown in the spotlight ahead of midterms as fatal MN shootings ignite backlash

Mainstream Democrats direct funds to anti-ICE protests carried out by ‘communist’ groups in Minneapolis

Anti-ICE agitators arrested outside Minnesota hotel as police declare unlawful assembly: ‘No longer peaceful’

Report: Trump Sending In the Great Tom Homan to Personally Take Command in Minneapolis and Reassigning Bovino After Shooting

Shirtless Florida man who jumped through Taco Bell window, robbed it with ‘large rock’ sentenced to 4 years

Sewage spill sends E coli surging in the Potomac River near DC

Feds charge 87 individuals in massive ATM ‘jackpotting’ operation linked to Tren de Aragua gang

Mamdani’s early moves as mayor clash with affordability pledge: ‘Ripple effects are significant’

Trump admin wins court victory freeing ICE agents from Minnesota protest restrictions

DOJ could soon ask Supreme Court to consider legal battle over Trump-appointed US attorneys

Trump has ‘very good’ call with Minneapolis Mayor Frey, announces border czar Homan meeting

ALERT: US Holocaust Museum Responds After Tim Walz Invokes Anne Frank’s Name, Calls Exploiting Holocaust ‘Deeply Offensive’

GOP senator demands DHS immigration chiefs testify after fatal shootings in Minnesota

Conservative Party defections to Reform UK continue with former home secretary

“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.”