Pope blasted for THANKING Paris mayor’s welcoming of migrants as camps pop up across city
THE Pope has been told to stay out of politics after he thanked the mayor of Paris for opening her arms to migrants.
The Pope was told to stay out of politics after he thanked the mayor of Paris for welcoming migrants
The Argentine-born pontiff expressed his “deepest gratitude” to Anne Hidalgo for treating France-bound migrants “humanely and with respect”.
He even said he “admired” the Paris mayor, despite residents’ fury at shanty camps popping up in the capital as a result of the migrant crisis.
Mrs Hidalgo, a pro-immigrant activist and devout Socialist, recently spearheaded plans to build two new modern migrant reception centres in the centre of Paris.
But just 100m away from the newly-opened men-only £5.4million port de la Chapelle reception centre, hundreds of paperless migrants set up camp.
The Saint-Denis camp was today being cleared by officials in white boiler suits, as mess sprawled along the strip of l’avenue du President-Wilson, a major road in the city.
The pope’s letter, which was sent on December 13 and subsequently posted on Twitter by a Paris official, sparked a flurry of outrage among far-right officials, namely among members of France’s nationalist Front National party.
He expressed his ‘deepest gratitude’ to Anne Hidalgo for treating migrants ‘humanely with respect’
Bèziers mayor Robert Ménard appeared to compare the left-wing mayor’s open-arms policy to economic and social suicide.
Doesn’t the Catholic church regard suicide as a sin?
He tweeted: “The pope is congratulating Anne Hidalgo. Doesn’t the Catholic church regard suicide as a sin? For all we know, Francis will end up travelling to Mecca for Hajj.”
David Rachline, campaign director for Front National’s presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen, said the pope should refrain from meddling in France’s domestic affairs, and the Catholic church should stay out of politics.
Hundreds of migrants have set up camp just metres away from the new reception centre in Paris
Paris migrant camps grow after 'Jungle' demolition
He said: “Religion and politics should not be mixed. And disagreeing with the pope doesn’t make you a bad Christian.”
Hardline Catholic Bruno Gollnisch, a member of the National Front, said France should only welcome “real refugees”.
Bèziers mayor Robert Ménard appeared to compare Mrs Hidalgo’s open-arms policy to suicide in a tweet
He said: “We should only welcome those fleeing war or persecution. People we know will not stay in France forever. No one else. Do we have a moral obligation to open our borders? If the pope could enlighten us, then that would be great. Because right now, half of Africa is pouring into France.”
The Vatican said the pope had sent a thank-you note to 70 pro-migrant mayors, and not just to Mrs Hidalgo.