Catholics in Washtenaw County honor Pope Francis’s legacy of hospitality and support for migrants after he passed away early Monday morning.
During his 12-year tenure as Pope, Francis wrote numerous letters, including a recent one directed at the bishops of the United States, which highlighted the Catholic Church's duty to support and care for migrants and refugees.
Scott Wright is the Outreach Ministry Coordinator for Ann Arbor’s Saint Francis of Assisi. He says Pope Francis stressed that Earth is humanity’s shared home, bestowed by God, and that the Church must provide hospitality to those compelled to leave their homes.
“Pope Francis was a great world leader and continues to lead from a new place in Heaven. He’s a light calling us to better hospitality.”
Wright says while some may view Pope Francis as having been too liberal in his principles on immigration, he hopes that Pope Francis’s teachings about treating migrants and refugees with respect and dignity remain within the Catholic community.
Non-commercial, fact based reporting is made possible by your financial support. Make your donation to WEMU today to keep your community NPR station thriving.
