The Cross in memory of the dead migrants and refugees was erected on Thursday at the entrance to the Vatican Apostolic Palace by order of Pope Francis.
The head of the Roman Catholic Church reminded in this regard that “in Christian tradition, the cross is a symbol of suffering and sacrifice, and at the same time of redemption and salvation.
“This cross is luminous: it is designed to support our faith in the Resurrection, the triumph of Christ over death. And an unknown migrant who died with the hope of a new life is part of this victory”, – said Pope Francis.
The unveiling of the commemorative sign took place after a meeting between a pontiff and a group of refugees who had recently arrived in Rome from the Greek island of Lesbos through the so-called “humanitarian corridors”.
During this meeting, Pope Francis was presented with a life jacket found on July 3 in the Mediterranean Sea, which belonged to one of the dead migrants.
“No one knows who it was or where it came from… We face another death caused by injustice. Because this injustice forces many migrants to leave their land. It is an injustice that forces them to cross deserts and endure harassment and torture in detention camps. It is an injustice that rejects them and leads to their death at sea”, – said the Pope.
According to the pontiff, neither the closure of European ports to NGO ships rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean Sea nor attempts to block the ceilings of refugees in Europe will solve the migration problem. He called for serious efforts to release migrants in detention camps in Libya and to continue rescuing refugees.
Pope Francis repeatedly called on the international community and all people of good will to provide full assistance to migrants and refugees. Previously, he had described as “shame” the situation around mass migration to Europe.
In April 2016, the Pope visited Lesbos and, on his way back to the Vatican, brought twelve migrants from Africa and the Middle East to the Greek island. He then called the current migration crisis “the greatest disaster since the Second World War”.