Francis affirms during a meeting with the children of the “Children’s Train” - Treno dei Bambini - from Calabria. What does being the Pope mean for Bergoglio? “The good that I can do”
A young girl asked Jorge Mario Bergoglio what it means “to be Pope”: “the good that I can do” was the answer. Francis also exclaimed, with a play on words, that they are not a danger to others, but that the migrants are themselves in danger. He affirmed this during a meeting with the children of the “Children’s Train” in the atrium of the Paul VI Auditorium at the Vatican.
It is an initiative, now in its fourth edition, sponsored by the “Courtyard of the Gentiles” of the Pontifical Council for Culture presided over by Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi. This year it is dedicated to the young migrants who faced a journey in search of hope, and it is also addressed to the children who have welcomed them in their cities, schools and homes. The theme is “Carried by waves”, which is exactly what happened to a young Nigerian who left his country with his parents to escape war. But during the journey he lost both his father and mother in one of the many tragedies at sea. But he made it and stopped in Lamezia where, in a community for foreign minors, he found another family who welcomed him like a son.
The Frecciargento train, made available by the Italian State Railways, left Vibo Valentia at 6 AM this morning and, after a brief stop at the Roma Termini train station where it was boarded by the President of the Italian State Railways Gioia Ghezzi, it arrived at the Vatican City station. Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello, president of the Governorate of Vatican City, and Ravasi were there waiting for them.
During his meeting with the 500 refugee children who came from Calabria on the “Children’s Train” the Pope brought with him and showed them the little life jacket of a refugee girl who died at sea; a volunteer had given it to the Pope last Wednesday at the general audience. “He brought me this jacket,” said Pope Francis, “and with tears in his eyes he said to me: ’Father, I couldn’t do it. There was a little girl on the waves, and I did all I could, but I couldn’t save her. Only her life vest was left’. This life vest was worn by that girl. I do not want you to be sad,” Bergoglio told the children, “but you are brave and you know the truth. They are in danger: many boys and girls, small children, men, women, they are in danger. Let us think of this little girl. What was her name? I do not know: a little girl with no name. Each of you give her the name you would like, each in his heart. She is in heaven, she is looking on us.”
The migrants “are not dangerous, but in danger”. This is how Pope Francis summarizes the situation of those fleeing war and persecution.
Today’s meeting was introduced by the reading of a letter addressed to the world and written by the Italian children who welcomed the migrant children in Calabria: “We have been thinking about all those adults and children who leave their country because of war and persecution. Many do not even manage to reach their goal because the same waves that should bring them salvation instead betray them and bring them to their death. We think of them and we cannot understand how there can be so much injustice in the world. We children promise that we will welcome anyone who arrives in our country: we shall never consider anyone who has a different skin colour, or who speaks a different language, or who professes a different religion from ours, a dangerous enemy.”
During the Pope’s meeting with the 500 young refugees of the “Children’s Train”, one young girl asked Bergoglio what it means to be Pope: “the good that I can do,” was Francis’ reply. “I feel,” he added, “that Jesus called me to this. Jesus wanted me to be a Christian, and a Christian must do [this]. And Jesus also wanted me to be a priest, and a bishop – and a priest and a bishop must do [this]. I feel that Jesus is calling me to do this – that’s what I feel.”
The hands of all the children released hundreds of white balloons in memory of all the migrant children who never arrived at their destination.
