Pope Francis has strongly defended refugees at his Christmas Eve mass, urging the world not to ignore the plight of people who are “driven from their land” because of leaders willing to shed “innocent blood”.
The leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics on Sunday led a solemn ceremony for about 10,000 people in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, while many others followed the service from the square outside.
In his homily, Francis likened refugees to Mary and Joseph finding no place to stay in Bethlehem and said faith demands that foreigners be welcomed.
“So many other footsteps are hidden in the footsteps of Joseph and Mary,” said the Argentine pontiff, himself the grandson of Italian migrants.
“We see the tracks of entire families forced to set out in our own day. We see the tracks of millions of persons who do not choose to go away, but driven from their land, leave behind their dear ones.”
Many engulfed in the ongoing migration crisis were forced to flee from leaders “who, to impose their power and increase their wealth, see no problem in shedding innocent blood”, said the 81-year-old.
The pope also condemned human traffickers who make money off desperate refugees as the “Herods of today” with blood on their hands, a reference to the Biblical story of the king who ordered the killing of all newborn male children near Bethlehem because he feared Jesus would one day displace him.
The pope’s Plea directly plays into the Southern Cameroons situation where Denizens In Manyu have abandoned their land and are now in neighbouring Nigeria running oppression from the tyranny of Paul Biya and his Forces. The regime of Paul Biya since September 22nd, 2017 has taken more than 500 lives of Southern Cameroonians. We hope the message brings comfort into refugees all over the world and most especially Southern Cameroonians in Nigeria.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES with contributions from BaretaNews
6 comments
Is this serious?
biya thinks he will remain in power to kill and maim Ambasonians forever. He likes to shed the blood of innocent Ambasonians. Be sure he will soon turn unto himself when he gets drunk of Ambasonian blood. God will set Ambasonia free indeed, regardless of biya’s killing and imprisonments. Ambasonia will rise again and will be independent come what may. Like little David, the goliath (lrc) will fall flat on the ground soon. We abhor the deception lrc is espousing to the world to continue her terror on Ambasonia. The Holy See has condemned such leaders as biya though the UN and AU have refused to. Our congratulations to our self-defense heroes of Ambasonia. Please, unite and flush this criminal biya out of Ambasonia. biya has to and will fail woefully on his tracts… that’s the way of evil regimes. The truth shall set AMBASONIA free!!!
You people underestimated the nation Cameroon, God created this country and he put Paul Biya as a leader, weather you like it or not ,you will b defeated.
Your so called semi god “Biya” can’t live for more that 15 years any more. He is a walking corpse that is scared and wants souls to be by it side as it dwells in to agony, that’s why he is killing Ambazonians with the blessing of some Ambazonians and LRC citizens.
Remember Ahmadou Ahidjo, Mobutu Sese Seko, Robert Mugabe, … in a couple of years it’s you so called semi god turn. We are waiting with pleasure.
When your semi god dies, LRC is going to finally come out of the dark ages and the comma he put them in into.
For us Ambazonians we are already free, there is absolutely nothing You, your semi god or his savages BIR can do. Let’s see when he is going to proclaim victory.
You thought you could steal our land and exterminate us, now you are surprised we are fighting back even without an army.
Sucker.
Why are Cameroonians refugees in Nigeria when there is no war, they need papers from UK, US etc…
Cameroonians know what is going wrong so stop crying bc no one will come for you.
Idiot