Muslim refugees eat and sleep at Catholic parish in Italy
In an effort to cope with the tidal wave of migrants and refugees pouring through the region, Bishop Antonio Suetta of Ventimiglia-San Remo had already welcomed several hundred people to the local parish of Sant’Antonio, where they’re sleeping in meeting rooms, outside on parish grounds, and even inside the church itself.
June 8, 2016
Crux Staff
A Catholic diocese in northern Italy on the border with France has opened the doors of one its parishes to refugees and asylum seekers, mostly Muslims including 50 new arrivals who were blocked on Monday trying to enter France by train.
In an effort to cope with the tidal wave of migrants and refugees pouring through the region, Bishop Antonio Suetta of Ventimiglia-San Remo had already welcomed several hundred people to the local parish of Sant’Antonio, where they’re sleeping in meeting rooms, outside on parish grounds, and even inside the church itself.
With the beginning of Ramadan in early June, the Catholic charity Caritas has relaunched a collaboration with two French humanitarian groups of Islamic inspiration to provide 600 meals a night to migrants currently blocked at the Italian/French border.
On Monday, a new group of 50 people were detained by French security services aboard an early morning train, and then handed over to Italian authorities. Aid workers say the people detained are mostly refugees from Eritrea, Sudan and Syria.
https://cruxnow.com/global-church/2016/06/08/italian-diocese-refugees-welcomed-sleep-church/
