French political magazine Le Point reported that some of these children arrived by plane from Libya on 29 April, via a “humanitarian corridor” set up by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), to help evacuate vulnerable migrants in collaboration with several European countries.
The other children had arrived on a boat a few months ago, said the Holy See, stating that they were all hosted with their families in a reception center called “Better World”, not far from Rome.
With a broad smile, according to Le Point, Pope Francis and the children made a tour of St Peter’s Square, sporting t-shirts emblazoned with the words: “to welcome, protect, promote, integrate”.
The pope mobile stopped several times in the heart of the crowd, and the pontiff took the opportunity to kiss dozens of children. He has regularly criticized Europe for its “insensitivity” to the migration crisis, but this brazen move will undoubtedly lead to fresh criticism against him.
Pope Jorge Mario Bergoglio has shown on many occasions that his compassionate preferences go to Mohammedan immigrants: washing the feet of Muslim prisoners, making ” joint statements ” with Muslim leaders; asserting that “selfish”, “rich” and “materialistic” Europe and Christians in general must “open up to Islam” and Muslim populations.
On April 30, a group of 19 Catholics published an open letter, accusing the Pope of heresy and demanding that the college of bishops act to make him “adjure”.
Georges Buscemi, president of Campagne Quebec-Vie, was one of 19 Catholics from different countries who signed a letter charging the pope with the “canonical offense of heresy,” and urging measures against him.
The pope’s signing of a declaration on interreligious cooperation in Abu Dhabi is heretical, the signatories noted, and while the Pope has offered both explanations for the document, “none of these explanations offers an unambiguous interpretation that is compatible with the Catholic faith,” they say.
Other papal “actions that indicate a rejection of truths of the faith” proposed by the letter, consist of a long list of individuals Francis is accused of promoting or associating with.
The signatories have taken issue with Francis’ Post-Synodal Exhortation Amoris Laetitia (2016), which has deeply troubled many orthodox theologians.
Material heresy describes a situation in which a person has, in word or deed, manifested an opinion in doubt of or contradiction to a truth to be believed by divine and Catholic faith.
In a speech to members of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences the pontiff warned against “the rise of nationalism and populism”. Francis added that “the national state can no longer be considered an isolated island”.