The Spanish Minister of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes, Felix Bolanoshad a brief meeting this Sunday with the Pope Francis in the Vatican, and invited him to visit the Canary Islands facing the migration crisis in the archipelago.
Bolaños arrived in Rome last night and visited the Vatican City attend this Sunday the canonization ceremony of 14 people, including seven Spanish Franciscans killed in Syria in 1860 which were proclaimed today saints.
Shortly before the ceremony, Bolaños was received by the pontiff in St. Peter’s Basilica, where “They agreed on their concern for the situation of migrants“, to which the Spanish minister invited Francisco to visit the Canary Islands.
“The minister conveyed to the Pope the affectionate greetings of the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and invited you to visit the Canary Islands”The Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Courts specifies this in a press release.
According to the note, Bolaños also attended this Saturday the reception given to him by the Spanish Ambassador to the Holy See, Isabel Celaá.
At the reception, he emphasized his “common concern with the Catholic Church regarding current events, such as the war in the Middle East or the migration crisis.
The minister also highlighted “the points of understanding in recent years” maintained with the Catholic Church, with a “broad vocation for dialogue”.
“Bolaños showed his confidence that through this a consensus can be reached on issues such as the implementation of the recommendations contained in the Ombudsman’s report regarding victims of abuse within the Church”, as well as “the development of the law on democratic memory to redefine the Cuelgamuros valley“, concludes the press release.
Possible visit of the Pope
Pope Francis assured a month and a half ago that I was thinking of traveling to the Canary Islands for the migration crisis that the islands are experiencing and to show their “proximity with the leaders and the people”.
“I am thinking a little about this, about going to the Canary Islands because there is the situation of migrants arriving from the sea and I would like to be close to the leaders and the inhabitants of the Canary Islands,” the pontiff declared to the question. by journalists about a possible visit to the islands.
The possibility of Francisco moving to the Canary Islands It has been on the table since January 22when the Canarian president, Fernando Clavijoconfirmed after a meeting at the Vatican that the Pope had told him that “I was going to think about itr” and showed him that he was aware of the humanitarian emergency facing the Atlantic Route.
During his pontificate, the Pope demonstrated his attention to migration crises and in particular flows towards Europe with his visit to the Italian island of Lampedusa, the first of the pontificate, and he also visited twice on the Greek island of Lesbos.
With a possible visit to the Canary Islands, Francisco would become the first pontiff to set foot on the archipelagoand it would also be about his first trip to Spain.
