Pope Urges Catholics To Take In Refugees

The pope has made his dramatic plea urging Britain’s Catholics to take in 3,000 refugee families – one for every parish.

12:18 08 September 2015

Pope Francis has made his dramatic please to thousands in the Vatican today saying that Britain’s Catholics should invite more than 3,000 refugee families into their homes.

 

England, Wales, and Scotland have 3,300 Catholic parishes and they could make a difference by taking in at least one family. It could also be a better solution to funding the families, for whom George Osborne is already diverting foreign aid cash to local councils.

 

The Pope said to applause in St Peter's Square: "I appeal to the parishes, the religious communities, the monasteries and sanctuaries of all Europe to ... take in one family of refugees.

 

"Every parish, every religious community, every monastery, every sanctuary of Europe, take in one family."

 

Two of the Vatican’s parishes will be leading by example by taking in refugee family each in the next few days.

 

Meanwhile, more than 2,000 Brits have signed up to an online database saying they will be happy to take refugees into their homes. One of them is Zoe Fritz, a 39-year-old hospital consultant, who said: "My heart has sung at the things people have written.

 

"It has been extraordinary the generosity people have had.

 

"From people who clearly have the space to people who have said 'I don't have much but I have more than a tent on a beach somewhere'.

 

"I have been in tears. I've been very, very heartened. We can all offer to help but we need to turn that into action."