.- Pope Francis will celebrate Mass Wednesday marking the seventh anniversary of his visit to the Italian island of Lampedusa. Pope Francis visited the Mediterranean island on July 8, 2013, shortly after his election. The trip, his first pastoral visit outside Rome, signaled that concern for migrants would be at the center of his pontificate. The pope chose to visit the island after reading harrowing reports of migrants dying while attempting the crossing from North Africa to Italy. The pope marked the sixth anniversary of his visit last year with a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Source: The North Africa Journal July 06, 2020 12:45 UTC