More children and refugees… The Pope and a message to Italy
ARK News… Italy has one of the lowest birth rates in the world, which prompted the Pope to call on Italians to have more children, as well as to welcome immigrants and integrate them into societies.
Pope Francis traveled to southern Italy on Sunday to conclude an Italian church conference, coinciding with Italy's national elections, and presented a message that converged with key local election campaign issues, including immigration.
Neither Francis nor his hosts referred to the vote during the open-air mass, although the Italian Bishops' Conference had earlier urged Italians to cast their ballots in a closely watched election that could bring Italy's first far-right government since World War II.
At the end of the Mass in Matera, Francis called on Italians to have more children. "I would like to ask Italy: More births, more children," Francis said.
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