The pope responded to the letter sent to him by a lifeguard committed to rescuing refugees in the Mediterranean. His name is Luca Casarini. He wrote Pope Francis to express the anguish caused by the situation of the refugees in Libya, after the closure of European ports from the pandemic.
LUCA CASARINI
NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans
“To those who escape torture, rape, slavery and brutality of all kinds in Libya, we say: no, you cannot enter because you might get infected. Therefore, either you drown or you return, to be tortured, raped or killed.”
Luca explains what finally pushed him to write Pope Francis was seeing him pray in the rain in St. Peter's Square, during the Urbi et Orbi blessing for the end of the pandemic.
LUCA CASARINI
NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans
'I wrote to the pope because I was impressed by the speech he made in St. Peter's Square, empty because of the pandemic and lockdown. It was a speech where he said that no one saves himself alone. It struck me, and I wrote him a very personal letter. I never imagined that he would answer me.”
The NGO Luca works for published the content of the pope's letter in which he says the following:
POPE FRANCIS
Thank you for the human piety you have in the face of so much pain (...). Thank you for what you do. I would like to tell you that I am always available to help you out. Count on me.
In December, Pope Francis noted this NGO when they gave him a cross with the life jacket of a deceased refugee.
POPE FRANCIS
“I have decided to display this life-vest, 'crucified' on this cross, to remind us to keep our eyes open, to keep our hearts open, to remind everyone of the obligatory duty to save each human life. It is a moral responsibility that unites believers and non-believers.”
The vest had been found floating in the sea. The pope had this cross placed at one of the entrances to the Apostolic Palace.
Javier Romero
Translation: Melissa Butz
