Pope Francis called on authorities, this Sunday, to stop human traffickers operating in the Mediterranean. He expressed his sadness over the tragedy of a migrant boat last week off the coast of Calabria, Italy, which resulted in the deaths of dozens of people. He announced that he is praying for the many victims of the boat’s sinking, their families, and the survivors.
In his weekly homily to the gathered crowd in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, the pope said, "I renew my appeal to prevent these tragedies from happening again. I hope that the human traffickers will be stopped... May journeys of hope never again turn into journeys of death, and may the pure waters of the Mediterranean not be stained again with blood due to these tragic incidents."
For her part, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni praised Pope Francis's statements and said in a post on Facebook that the government "continues to deploy all necessary forces to confront human traffickers and stop deaths at sea." Meloni had previously urged European Union leaders to make greater efforts to halt illegal immigration.
