Pope Francis said in Panama Thursday that the Church must work to overcome the world’s “fears and suspicions” of migration, and pledged his support for “all efforts” to avoid further suffering in crisis-torn Venezuela.
The Pope is being kept abreast of developments in nearby Caracas, and was praying for the people of Venezuela, Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti said. Pope Francis is supporting “all efforts” to avoid further suffering for the population, he said.
Speaking from Panama in Central America – the hub for US-bound migrants – Pope Francis said migrants were simply seeking “the minimum conditions for a better future.”
The Argentine Pope was addressing Central American bishops on the first day of his visit for a global gathering of young Catholics for World Youth Day.
Earlier, in a speech to government ministers and members of the diplomatic corps at the foreign ministry, he called on political leaders to reject “all forms of corruption.”
Young people, he said, insisted that those in positions of authority should “lead a life that demonstrates that public service is a synonym of honesty and justice, and opposed to all forms of corruption.”
He returned to the theme in…
