Bishops Belarus call to pray for migrants at Polish border
The Catholic Church on both sides of the Polish-Belarusion border is concerned about the fate of the migrants. Photo Darek Delmanowicz
Eastern Europe
The Belarusian Catholic Church requested its believers to pray for the migrants and refugees at the border with Poland. On its website, the Church called for prayer for people “who belong to the most vulnerable group: migrants and refugees”, Catholic News Agency reported.
The Church also published a prayer that believers can recite. They are more encouraged to ask God to be near and dear to the refugees and help them through the hard times they are experiencing. “Help them find a new home and new hope.”
Raising money for migrants
Earlier, Polish bishops started to raise money for the migrants. It would be used to finance Caritas Poland’s aid activities in the border areas and the process of long-term integration of refugees who decide to stay in Poland.
Meanwhile, the Vatican urges European states to find a solution for the humanitarian crisis that is unfolding, Vatican News states.
On Tuesday, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary of State for Relations with the States, said at a press conference that EU countries should take responsibility and adopt a humane stance towards refugees and migrants. Gallagher, who visited Moscow and talked to the Russian Foreign Minister, did an appeal on “everyone to look at the situation not just in terms of numbers, but in terms of the fate of people like us who are in a dire position.”
Pope Francis warns against exploiting
Pope Francis also expressed his concern about the refugees. He said he would refuse to exploit them.
Critics argue that the refugee crisis at the border between Belarus and Poland painfully uncovers the weaknesses of the EU. They blame the internal disunity of the European Union, Die Tagespost writes.
The Belarusian president, Alexandr Lukashenko, uses migrants to destabilise the EU as revenge for the sanctions that the EU imposed after the election. Both Russia and Turkey support Lukashenko.
Polish government criticised
Meanwhile, Poland itself faces internal pressures. Many people criticise the government for its policies concerning the migrants.
Help from other EU states is not very accessible either, Die Tagespost argues. The agency for securing the borders of the EU is not integrated into the security network of Poland, even though it is located in Warsaw. According to Die Tagespost, much will depend on the effectiveness of the sanctions announced by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “And whether the EU will succeed in stopping the flow of refugees in their countries of origin.”
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