Never,” Pope Francis said Feb. 23 in Bari, Italy. Pope Francis said that a sense of fear of “what is instrumentally painted as an invasion” fuels the rejection of others. Pope Francis met the Mediterranean bishops in Bari’s Basilica of St. Nicholas, where he prayed in the crypt, venerating the relics of the saint. In his Angelus address in Bari, Pope Francis prayed particularly for the people of Syria who have suffered from many years of war. Pope Francis has repeatedly called for peaceful negotiation and humanitarian protections during the Russian-backed Syrian government’s offensive Idlib, Syria’s last rebel-held territory, which borders Turkey.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 23, 2020 13:52 UTC