Vatican City, Apr 13, 2016 / 04:30 am
With a last-minute trip to Lesbos just days away, Pope Francis remembered the refugees and residents of the Greek island during his general audience address, and asked for prayers ahead of his one-day journey.
"Next Saturday I will go to the island of Lesbos, through which so many refugees have passed in recent months," the Pope said at the conclusion of the April 13 audience.
He asked pilgrims at the general audience to accompany him in prayer, "invoking the light and strength of the Holy Spirit and the maternal intercession of the Virgin Mary."
The Vatican announced on April 7 that Pope Francis would be traveling to the island just nine days later, this Saturday, April 16. Lesbos has been one the primary destinations of migrants fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria and Afghanistan who seek entry into the E.U.