ATHENS, Greece — Just as Europe starts sending would-be migrants back to Turkey, the leaders of the Catholic and Orthodox churches are heading to a Greek island to voice solidarity with those who have streamed in fleeing war, poverty and persecution.
Saturday’s high-powered visit to Lesbos by Pope Francis, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, and Athens Archbishop Ieronymos, the head of the Church of Greece, could embarrass EU leaders under fire from rights groups.
The Vatican said Francis’ five-hour visit to Lesbos was purely humanitarian and religious in nature, not political, and wasn’t meant as a criticism of the deportation program. But spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi acknowledged that Francis has previously told Europe it had a “moral obligation” to welcome refugees, and that it was “evident” that the humanitarian crisis in Europe only exists because political solutions to regional conflicts haven’t been found.
On Wednesday Francis said he and the Orthodox leaders intended “to express closeness and solidarity both to the refugees and to the Lesbos citizens and all the Greek people who are so generous in welcoming (refugees).”
