Vatican City, Jan 11, 2010 / 15:27 pm
After the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI called for respect between those of different religions or places of origin. The papal appeal comes in obvious relation to recent atrocities committed against Coptic Christians in Egypt and the continued “revolt” being led by immigrant workers in southern Italy in the last week.
Although he didn't specifically name an instance, the Pope said, "Two facts have drawn my attention in particular in recent days: the case of the condition of migrants seeking a better life in countries that, for various reasons, need their presence, and conflict situations in various parts of the world where Christians are under violent attack."
Protests turned violent recently in the Italian region of Calabria as immigrant workers spoke out against exploitation and poor working conditions on citrus plantations in the city of Rosorna. After clashes with locals and subsequent police intervention, hundreds of the immigrant workers were evacuated to other cities where they've been taken in to shelters run by Catholic organizations, reported the Catholic newspaper L'Avvenire.
The Pontiff exclaimed that solutions are needed, "We must get to the heart of the problem! We must go back to the meaning of the person!"