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maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 26 NOVEMBER 2014 News POPE Francis yesterday called on European leaders to do more to help migrants arriving on their shores – in order to inject new impetus and energy back into the "somewhat eld- erly and haggard" continent. The first non-European pontiff in 1,200 years delivered a sombre and thoughtful message to more than 700 MEPs gathered at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. He berated Europe for its treat- ment of migrants, for the hordes of young unemployed, for its treatment of older people and for its failure to see clearly. And the leader of the Catholic Church said legislators risk turn- ing the Mediterranean into a "vast cemetery" if they do not do more to tackle the immigration crisis, which every year sees thousands of poor and desperate migrants drowning as they attempt to reach Europe. This year alone, more than 3,000 migrants have drowned in their des- perate bid to cross over to Europe. The Jesuit Pope compared the con- tinent to a grandmother who is no longer fertile and vibrant and urged lawmakers to create jobs and not allow the bureaucracy of its institu- tions to suffocate the ideals which once defined it. "The great ideas which once in- spired Europe seem to have lost their attraction, only to be replaced by the bureaucratic technicalities of its in- stitutions," he said. Speaking just a few days after 600 migrants were rescued in the Medi- terranean between Sicily and North Africa, he called for "a united re- sponse to the question of migration". "We cannot allow the Mediterra- nean to become a vast cemetery," he said. "The boats landing daily on the shores of Europe are filled with men and women who need acceptance and assistance," Francis said. He called on European leaders to work together to protect immigrants from human traffickers and establish a Europe that "revolves not around the economy but around the sacred- ness of the human person". "The time has come to promote policies which create employment, but above all there is a need to restore dignity to labour by ensuring proper working conditions," he said. In a speech devoted to the cen- trality of human dignity the pontiff declared that the EU had lost its bearings. It had become "elderly and haggard", hostage to a uniform eco- nomic model that undermined de- mocracy while the centrality of hu- man rights was becoming confused with and supplanted by individualis- tic narcissism. The rest of the world viewed Eu- rope with "aloofness, mistrust and suspicion", the pontiff said. The parliament's president, Martin Schulz, a German social democrat and former bookseller, presented him with a book as a gift, a special- ly bound edition in Spanish of the memoirs of Jean Monnet, one of the EU's founders. As the pope departed the parlia- ment after his 36-minute speech and a two-minute standing ovation, teenagers yelled "ciao". He delivered his speech in Italian, and spoke in German, French, and English with EU dignitaries without translators present. In a statement issued before the Pope's visit, the Jesuit Refugee Serv- ice in Europe urged European coun- tries to "remain faithful to one of the fundamental values underpinning the European Union by showing con- crete solidarity with migrants and refugees and ensuring fully-fledged joint search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean so that people do not continue to die in the Mediter- ranean." JRS said European solidarity with those who are fleeing for their lives, as well as solidarity between EU member states has recently been found greatly lacking. "Refugees and forced migrants are rarely viewed with compassion as fel- low human beings in need, and the responsibility to protect them has all but been forgotten." It noted that the substitution of the Italian naval operation 'Mare Nos- trum' which saved over 140,000 peo- ple by Operation 'Triton' led by the EU border agency Frontex only oper- ates within 30 nautical miles of the Italian coast on a third of the budget and considerably fewer resources. "For Europe, the need to secure borders seems to be more important than saving the lives of people," JRS said. "Border control should never be at the expense of human rights. To turn a blind eye to the people dying at our borders is to undermine eve- rything the EU is supposed to stand for. Europe cannot claim to be an area of freedom, justice and security if the only rights we care about are our own," JRS Malta director Katrine Camilleri said. JRS Europe regional director Fr Jean-Marie Carrière, SJ said that it is really a question of moral integrity. "Pope Francis reminds us that help- ing migrants is a central part of the Christian tradition. More impor- tantly, our solidarity should extend beyond simply offering persecuted people a safe place to live. True hos- pitality goes further than tolerance and must always mean membership in a community." 24 Pope attacks EU over treatment of migrants www.elctoysmalta.com EARLY BIRD SCHEME We will refund you the VAT, in vouchers, on your purchases. Minimum spend €25.00 For a limited time only. Terms and conditions apply. 193, Merchant Street, Valletta - Tel: 2123 6228 • 61, St. Paul Street, Rabat - Tel: 2145 6385 • Triq Fortunato Mizzi, Victoria - Tel: 21560157 Wow!! A VAT free Christmas! Pope Francis described Europe as "elderly and haggard"