Pope Francis departs from Lesbos after his 6-hour visit

Pope Francis departs from Lesbos after his 6-hour visit

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis flew back to Rome on Saturday at the end of his 6-hour visit to the Greek Island of Lesbos during which he implored Europe to treat refugees with dignity. The papal plane took off from Lesbos’ airport at 15.32 local time.

The Pope was accompanied on his visit to Lesbos by the Orthodox leader, the Ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I and the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Athens and all Greece, Ieronymos II. 

During their visit, the three spiritual leaders signed a joint declaration calling on the international community to make the protection of human lives a priority and to extend temporary asylum to those in need.

Earlier they toured the Moria refugee camp where many of the refugees fell to their knees and wept at the Pope’s feet as the three spiritual leaders toured the camp and met its inmates.   

www.en.radiovaticana.va