Francisco: "The world of refugees is a cross" | Chronic

The second day of the pope Francisco on Bulgarian lands there were a lot of activities. One of these was a visit to a refugee center, where he again stressed the importance of receiving people who were fleeing their home country in the midst of a crisis to look for a better future.

With colorful songs and drawings, Syrian and Iraqi children, as well as their families, received the pontiff at the Vrazhdebna refugee center, outside the Bulgarian capital, Sofia. There, the head of the Catholic Church thanked them for the hospitality that they offered him and thought about: "The children bring joy on their way, a path not always beautiful, because they have difficulty to leave their country and try to integrate it to another ".

"EThe world of migrants and refugees, it's a bit like a cross, a cross of humanity and so many people are suffering"Then Francisco met with the people present, gave them the blessing and received the drawings that the children dedicated to him." The refugee center was opened in 2013 in a building where once stood a school. . " Members of international organizations and Bulgarian NGOs take care of those who live there, while the local Red Cross distributes food and hygiene items and provides badistance to children.

Communion and dialogue

During another activity of the day, more than 200 children from all over Bulgaria received the first communion of the Pontiff. "Dear children Now you are going to receive Jesus. Do not be distracted, think no more, make silence in your heart. Think that this is the first time that Jesus speaks to you … In silence, we receive Jesus ", he told them.

Later, he met the Catholic community and led the Meeting for Peace in Sofia with members of other religions, reinforcing the need to deepen the dialogue and collaboration between the different religions. "We are called to be builders, peacemakers"He said and said,"Peace requires and asks us to make dialogue a path; of joint collaboration our behavior; reciprocal knowledge method and criterion to find us in what unites us, respect us in what separates us and encourage us to look at tomorrow as an area of ​​opportunity and dignity, especially for future generations ".