Pope Francis Setting Example for the World by Giving Syrian Refugees Asylum

Pope Francis has announced The Vatican will be taking in two families of Syrian refugees. He urged other Roman Catholic religious orders to take in refugees in whatever space they have available as well. When asked how long the families can stay, he said “As long as the Lord wants. We don’t know how this will end, do we?” This announcement comes at a crucial time, as the number of Syrian refugees seeking asylum in Middle Eastern and European countries continue to escalate drastically.

Increasingly violent civil war and domestic terrorism in Syria has triggered the influx of millions of Syrian refugees to Middle Eastern and European countries. Although the country has been in strife for years, the new Islamic State militant group ISIS has increased the number of civilian casualties in its quest to control Syria.

While the majority of refugees flee to neighboring countries, hundreds have died attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe. The crisis has nations worldwide determining how many refugees to accept. Germany has been the biggest contributor of The European nations so far by promising asylum to 20,000 refugees. Nations with harsher immigration views are pledgingc onsiderably less spots. The US has pledged 10,000 refugees, with senior officials arguing the amount should be increased to 100,000. The U.N High Commissioner for Refugees called the Syrian crisis “the biggest humanitarian emergency of our era, yet the world is failing to meet the needs of refugees and the countries hosting them.”

At 78 years old, Argentinean born Pope Francis is the controversial 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church. During his two years in papacy he has revamped the Church’s image, as well as bringing it into the 21st century. He has focused on the poor and vulnerable, brought attention to climate change, and accused the Church of being “too focused on small minded rules.” Pope Francis believes Christian commitment is measured by how Church members treat the poor, immigrants, and the environment.

His renovation of the church’s more tolerant image has met opposition by conservative Catholics hesitant to give up their long upheld rules.

In our increasingly non-religious world, The Catholic Church can seem antiquated and overly conservative. It also seems many Catholics have forgotten the important duty that comes with religion: Showing love to those less fortunate.

The decision by Pope Francis to house refugees in the Vatican is a symbolic gesture and welcome reminder that religion is about love, not rules. We can only hope othercountries will follow suit, and are generous when determining how many refugees to accept. In the words of Pope Francis, “A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just.”