On the second day of his visit to Marseille, Pope Francis continued his call on European countries to show more tolerance towards immigrants, addressing French President Emmanuel Macron and his counterparts on the Old Continent with a call to open their ports to people fleeing hardship and poverty.
The Lord of the Vatican pointed out that there is no “emergency” for migration in Europe, but rather a long-term reality that governments must deal with in a humane manner. He considered that talking about a migration “emergency” only fuels “alarming propaganda” and raises people’s fears.
“Those who risk their lives at sea are not invading (Europe), they are looking for welcome and life,” Francis said.
A call for solidarity
During his speech at the Palais des Congrès in the French Mediterranean city in the presence of Macron, Francis said, “Let us allow ourselves to be affected by the stories of many of our miserable brothers and sisters who have the right to emigrate, and not close ourselves in indifference…”
The Pope’s words in Marseille came after the statement of French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, in which he affirmed that “France will not receive immigrants from Lampedusa… Receiving more people is not the way to stop the flow (of immigrants), which clearly affects our ability to integrate.”
Darmanin’s statement came against the backdrop of the huge numbers of migrants who arrived on the island of Lampedusa during the past days, and comes in contradiction with the Pope’s repeated calls to ensure that the migrants are allowed to reach safety.
The Pope’s visit to Marseille also comes at a time when the issue of immigration in Europe has returned to the forefront of events, with the right-wing Italian government threatening to impose a naval blockade in the Mediterranean to prevent boats from leaving Tunisia and Libya, and intensifying the repatriation of migrants. The French government also strengthened its patrols on its southern borders for the same goal.
It is noteworthy that Macron’s centrist government began to take more stringent positions on immigration after it was exposed to criticism from French conservatives and the far right, which forced it to adopt a European speech calling for strengthening the Union’s external borders and increasing the number of deportees whose asylum applications were not accepted.
Multiple codes to visit
Francis’s visit to Marseille is not without symbolic frameworks. This is the first time in 500 years that the city has received a Supreme Pontiff, and as a coastal city, immigration from Armenia, Italy, Spain, and former French colonies in Africa has helped shape its present.
In addition, Marseille, one of the most famous French cities in the world, suffers from pockets of poverty around it, in addition to violence and gang activities. Is this due to immigration?
Francis’s speech in Marseille was consistent with what he had been calling for since he assumed the papacy, defending migrants trying to reach safety. He is famous for visiting Lampedusa, which has come to be called the gateway to Europe, in 2013, on his first official foreign visit outside the Vatican, when he brought… With him were Syrian refugees on board the papal plane.
The far right’s anger
These positions did not win the approval of European far-right parties and movements, which began criticizing Francis publicly and accusing him of not appreciating the situation in Europe in particular.
On top of these trends, the positions of the French right became clearer and more direct, especially with the return of the immigration debate in the country to the circle of controversy. Also, the French right, or part of it in any case, did not accept from the beginning Francis assuming this position because he was from Latin America, which opened the door for this movement to make a rare distinction from the traditional Catholic position on the Pope.
The presence of Pope Francis and his scheduled speech on immigrants has drawn the ire of French far-right hawks, such as Eric Zemmour and Marion Maréchal, the granddaughter of Jean-Marie Le Pen and Stéphane Ravier.
Marechal, who will run in the upcoming European elections for Zemmour’s “Restoration” party, said in an interview on the French BFM television channel on September 14, “I do not agree with Pope Francis,” and questioned the reasons for his focus on charitable work. Maréchal, who is open about her belief in her Catholic faith, did not hesitate to criticize the Pontiff: “I think he has no business in politics, and he is very involved in it. The Pope is infallible only with regard to doctrine, and in this case, he looks at immigration in Europe with the eyes of a citizen.” “From South America, it is clear that he does not fully understand what we are up against.”
Macron and the controversy of attending Mass
On the other hand, neither Eric Zemmour’s party nor the right-wing Republican Party expressed their concern that the French president would attend the papal mass. In their view, this is not a subject of controversy, as it is not uncommon for French leaders to attend religious ceremonies, but Macron will be the first French president to attend a papal mass since 1980.
This is what the leader of the left opposition, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, indicated in a message on his account on the “X” platform, saying, “No, Mr. President, you cannot go to the Pope’s Mass. The secular state does not recognize or support any religion.”
France is known for adopting strong secular traditions, so Macron’s expected attendance at Mass has sparked controversy, at a time when the debate has not subsided over the ban on the abaya worn by Muslim female students in schools.
For his part, Macron’s office indicated that he attended other religious events as president, such as the breakfast ceremony organized by Islamic organizations, and he also insisted that he would not participate in Mass. “I will not go as a Catholic, I will go as president of the French Republic… I will go out of courtesy and respect.”
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2023-09-23 13:42:40
