Pope Francis arrived in Cyprus, the European country that receives the largest number of refugees compared to its population, and from there launched a speech against the walls “of fear” and “vetoes dictated by nationalist interests” in Europe. He also demanded “dialogue and reconciliation” for the open conflict between the island and Turkey after the occupation of a part of that territory by Ankara in 1974. This is how Francis manifested himself from the Cathedral of Our Lady of Grace in Nicosia, and later in front of to the authorities in the presidential palace. During his trip, the Pope will also visit Greece and the island of Lesbos to focus on the migration issue.
“Tear down the walls”
“To build a dignified future for the human being, we must work together, overcome divisions, tear down the walls and cultivate the dream of unity”declared the pope in the cathedral of the capital of Cyprus. “We need to welcome and integrate ourselves, to walk together,” he added, referring to the crisis of migrants in the Mediterranean, “a sea that was the cradle of so many civilizations, where people, peoples and cultures from all over the world still disembark today.”
A few meters from the cathedral, in a Maronite café, dozens of people followed the Pope’s speech on television. “I have come to listen to your heart, a heart that is with respect, dignity and human rights. That seeks to address the problem of migrants,” said Avril Fortuin, 57, a Christian woman who lives in Limassol, a city south of Cyprus.
As for Lebanon, a neighboring country to Cyprus, Francis said he was “very concerned” about the social, economic and humanitarian crisis: “I feel the pain of a people tired and affected by violence and suffering”. Church officials said that more than 1,000 Lebanese traveled to Cyprus for the pope’s visit.
Against “nationalist interests”
Francis continued his speech stating that “the European continent needs reconciliation and unity, it needs courage and drive to move forward,” adding: “Because It will not be the walls of fear or the vetoes dictated by nationalist interests that will contribute to progress.Nor can economic recovery alone guarantee security and stability. “
The pope said these words at a time when Poland has militarized its borders with Belarus due to the arrival of thousands of migrants from mainly Afghanistan and Syria, but also Cyprus and Greece have built walls to prevent the arrival of refugees.
“Let us look at the history of Cyprus and see how the meeting and the reception have borne long-term beneficial fruits; not only in terms of the history of Christianity, but also in the construction of a society that has found its own richness in integration “, assured Francisco.
In this small European country, the arrival of refugees has increased significantly in the first ten months of the year with a total of 10,868 irregular immigrants, what supposes a 38 percent more than in all of 2020 and represents the largest number of asylum applications from the European Union compared to its population.
“Terrible wound”
Francis also met with the President of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, to address the conflict that divides the island. The pope asked for dialogue to heal this “terrible wound”, the conflict that in 1974 separated Cyprus between the Republic of Cyprus, member of the European Union, and the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (RTNC), recognized only by Turkey.
Without ever citing Turkey, Francis stated that “the path of peace, which heals conflicts and regenerates the beauty of brotherhood, is marked by one word: dialogue”. In this sense, the pope called to flee “gestures of power, threats of revenge and demonstrations of force.” Both the Orthodox and the Catholic Church have long asked Turkey to return the churches located in the north of the island.
In his speech, the president Anastasiadis stressed that “Cyprus is the only country in Europe that remains divided” and that “To this day, the drama continues for many families of not knowing the whereabouts of their missing relatives.” Added to this situation, according to the president, “the looting of cultural and religious monuments in the occupied territories, aspects that brutally offend humanity.”
This Friday, Francis will celebrate in Nicosia a mass in a stadium in front of seven thousand faithful, and an ecumenical prayer with the migrants near the “green line”, the demilitarized zone administered by the UN that divides the city and the island into two parts. The mass will be the only event in which the Catholic community of Cyprus will participate, made up of some 25 thousand people, out of a population of one million, the majority of whom are Orthodox. More than 500 policemen will watch over the Pope’s safety.
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