JakeStarkey
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- Aug 10, 2009
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- If Pope Francis had his way, European parishes would house up to 500,000 refugees
saidduring his customary Sunday address, the news agency Agence France-Presse reported. He also said the Vatican will welcome two families of refugees.
There are about 122,000 Catholic parishes in Europe, according to a study conducted by Georgetown University and published in June. If each of them housed one refugee family consisting of three to four people, about 360,000 to 500,000 refugees could be accommodated in the coming months.
It is unclear, however, whether all parishes will accede to the pope's wish. In addition, housing refugees in parishes would have little bearing on the strict policies in countries such as France that have left desperate refugees — fleeing conflict and persecution — with limited options when they make their way to European shores.
Addressing thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, Francis provided few details about his call to accommodate refugees, many of whom are not Catholics. The pope called his idea a "concrete gesture" ahead of a "year of mercy" that starts in December.