Pope expresses sadness over image of drowned father, child

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press


Trisha Thomas, Associated Press Updated 7:58 am CDT, Wednesday, June 26, 2019

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis on Wednesday expressed sadness over the fate of the father and young daughter who drowned in the Rio Grande while trying to cross into the United States.

"The pope is profoundly saddened by their death, and is praying for them and for all migrants who have lost their lives while seeking to flee war and misery," he said.

Photographs, which have been widely published around the world, show the bodies of a father and his 23-month-old daughter face down along the banks of the Rio Grande near Matamoros, Mexico, across the river from Brownsville, Texas.

Earlier, in off-the-cuff comments during his weekly audience in St. Peter's Square, the pontiff complimented the people of Mexico for being "so welcoming to migrants. God bless you." A group of Mexicans attending the audience cheered and waved a Mexican flag in response.


Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/article/Pope-expresses-sadness-over-image-of-drowned-14050544.php

[JI7]

1. is he going to do anything about it ?

[mahannah]

2. No.

[Igel]

3. This was "thoughts and prayers."

And, no, there's not much he can do about it.

[JI7]

4. there actually is a lot more he could do

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

7. +1000

That was my first thought. The teens at Parkland didn't settle for thoughts and prayers -- they've gotten out and worked their asses off to stop gun violence in schools. If it bothers the Pope so much to see dead children (who are most likely Catholic, since that's the dominant religion in Latin America), then do something about it. The Church has hundreds of thousands of members. What they need is a leader who will mobilize them to end these Trump-caused atrocities at the border.

[Drahthaardogs]

18. Thoughts and Prayers are all he can do

That's kind of his job

[Polybius]

6. What can he do?

He's already come out against many of Trump's policies.

[gtar100]

9. A call to action for all Catholics to stand against the inhumane treatment of people,

especially those seeking asylum from violence and **ESPECIALLY CHILDREN** who are being harmed by this brutality. All Catholics need to be united against these atrocious actions. Call your representatives, stage protests, sit-ins, prayer vigils, call in the press to cover it. Unite with the people of your parish and discuss ways each of us can help. Speak loudly and clearly that the Church will not sit idle before the evil actions of these men. Call them out by name. Gather at the gates of the concentration camps and detention centers. Demand immediate disclosure of the whereabouts of all the young girls taken by ICE. Demand that the children be returned to their parents. Let them know that the Holy Church will not rest until these crimes against humanity cease and all asylum seekers are treated with dignity and respect and families are no longer separated.

etc.

Or...thoughts and prayers, have a sad and thank Mexico for being nice.

[Locrian]

11. yes - call it evil, call it anti-christian etc

Plenty of scripture to read and to mobilize Catholics etc
Hell - remind them that pretty much ALL Catholics in the US were at one times immigrants.

[Drahthaardogs]

19. He's already done that

Multiple times. He's not going to fail like Mussolini, but he has spoken often to these policies

[inwiththenew]

8. They'll get to it right after they do something about the widespread sexual abuse of children

In their organization.

[IronLionZion]

13. Does he have any authority over the US government?

Most American Catholics find him too liberal and don't listen him anyway.

[NickB79]

17. I can vouch for that

I've been pissing my very Catholic, very conservative family off with Papal quotes. The cognitive dissonance is shocking: in a choice between listened to the Pope or Trump, they're choosing Trump Yet they still think they're faithful members of the Church and following the teachings of Jesus because they're anti-choice.

[LanternWaste]

15. Probably about as much as we will.

Just lots of talk and righteous rage...

[SCVDem]

5. More Tots and Pears

This time from El Papa!

That was helpful to an entire region of Catholics!

GET INVOLVED!! You control millions!

[Grokenstein]

10. Make a sad face and shrug, "Oh well."

It's what Jesus would have done, right?

[Aristus]

12. How about a blanket excommunication for every Catholic Trump supporter?

Get 'em in the feels...

[47of74]

14. Your American bishops and priests supported Trump, Francis

So this is what they supported.

So your having a sad means little to me Francis.

[lapucelle]

16. I have been working for years with both Network (Nuns on a Bus)

and a local congregation (The Sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood) on myriad social justice issues. Both of the popes who preceded Francis investigated the group due to its radical independence and activism.

The women of the church walk the walk. Anyone interested in participating in current and future actions can visit their websites.

https://networklobby.org/news/
https://brentwoodcsj.org/justice/justice-actions/
https://brentwoodcsj.org/author/karenb/

[Kid Berwyn]

21. Thank you!

People who put thoughts and prayers into action build a better future for all.

[EX500rider]

20. How about the thousands who have drowned trying to get to Italy, he comment on them also? nt

[Kid Berwyn]

22. Actually, yes.

Pope Francis expresses sorrow after 170 feared dead in Mediterranean

Pontiff asks St Peter’s Square to pray for the drowned victims and those responsible

AP, Jan. 20, 2019

Pope Francis has expressed sorrow over the 170 people feared drowned in recent days in the Mediterranean Sea.

The UN refugee agency has said 117 died or were missing after a smuggler’s dinghy sank off Libya on 18 January and that 53 others died when another boat capsized in the western Mediterranean a few days earlier.

Speaking in St Peter’s Square in Vatican City on Sunday, Francis said those who drowned had looked for better lives and were “victims, perhaps, of human traffickers”.

The pope said: “Let us pray for them and for those who have the responsibility for what happened.”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/20/pope-francis-expresses-sorrow-after-170-feared-dead-in-mediterranean