[1/6] Pope Francis receives a gift from a faithful, near the stele dedicated to sailors and migrants lost at sea, during a visit which is a part of the Mediterranean meetings (MED2023) in Marseille, France, September 22, 2023.
REUTERS/Benoit Tessier Acquire Licensing RightsMARSEILLE, France, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Friday that migrants who risk drowning at sea "must be rescued," calling it "a duty of humanity, a duty of civilisation".
Speaking at the start of a trip centred on migration issues in the Mediterranean, he said that impeding such rescues is "a gesture of hate".
He spoke at an inter-religious prayer service at a monument dedicated in the port city of Marseille to those lost at sea.
Reporting by Philip Pullella, Editing by William MacleanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons:
Pope Francis, Benoit Tessier, Philip Pullella, William Maclean
Organizations:
REUTERS, Rights, Thomson
Locations:
Marseille, France, Rights MARSEILLE