In his Sunday sermon, Pope Benedict XIV has spoken about the recent violence against illegal immigrants in the south of Italy.
He called on Italians to respect the rights of such migrants and said that an immigrant is also a person with his or her own life and character. He added that violence can never be a solution to problems.
His remarks were prompted by the riots that broke out in the southern Italian town of Rosarno on Thursday, when African immigrants clashed with local police and youths. Hundreds of Africans took to the streets in protest after a Nigerian and a Togolese man were shot with an air rifle by a group of local youths. By the time the fighting ended, 67 people had been injured. Buses later took hundreds of immigrants to safety elsewhere in the region.
Order has since been restored to the town.
Photo of Pope Benedict XVI in Africa in 2009 by EPA
Photo by EPA
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