The stunning way a Catholic priest marked the deaths of refugees in the Mediterranean

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Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki celebrated the Corpus Christi Mass from a seven-meter-long refugee boat on May 26 in front of the cathedral in Cologne, Germany, in memory of thousands of migrants who lost their lives in the Mediterranean sea. (Rolf Vennenbernd/AFP via Getty Images)

By Rick Noack
May 26 at 12:34 PM

"Someone who lets people drown in the Mediterranean also drowns God — every day, thousands of times."

The archbishop of the city of Cologne, Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, found these striking words on Thursday to condemn Europe's increasingly tough attitude toward refugees. He spoke during a special church service, which took place in one of the German city's main squares.

Woelki also used a seven-meter-long former refugee boat as his altar for the service to celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi. The boat had previously been recovered by the Maltese military during a search-and-rescue operation.

The cardinal emphasized the significance of choosing the boat, saying that altars had always symbolized Jesus Christ. "To see those in need and help them is the task the Lord has given to us as Christians," said Woelki.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/05/26/the-stunning-way-a-catholic-priest-marked-the-deaths-of-refugees-in-the-mediterranean/