By Charles Igwe
On Tuesday afternoon, Pope Francis welcomed a group of migrants to Casa Santa Marta, continuing his tradition of such encounters, which are described as “great moments of grace.” The migrants, who see the Pope as a “father” and “shepherd to all,” were accompanied by Dona Mattia Ferrari.
The central figures in this meeting were two young migrants, Ibrahim Lo from Senegal and Ebrima Kuyateh from Gambia, both of whom traveled through Libya to reach Europe. Ibrahim is the author of “Pane e acqua. Dal Senegal all’Italia passando per Libia” (“Bread and Water. From Senegal to Italy via Libya”) and “La mia voce. Dalle rive dell’Africa alle strade dell’Europa” (“My Voice. From the Shores of Africa to the Streets of Europe”), while Ebrima has penned “Io i miei piedi nudi” (“I My Bare Feet”), with a preface by Erio Castellucci, Archbishop of Modena-Nonantola and Bishop of Carpi, and an afterword by Stefano Croci, director of Migrantes.
The group included Fr. Mattia Ferrari, Stefano Croci, Giulia Bassoli, a volunteer from Migrantes Carpi, Luca Casarini, founder and mission leader of Mediterranea Saving Humans, and Sister Adriana Dominici of Spin Time Labs in Rome.
During the meeting, Fr Mattia explained that Pope Francis wanted to hear their stories, thanking them for their lives and efforts, and encouraging them to persevere. One poignant story came from Pato, who had previously met Pope Francis in November 2023. The tragic deaths of Pato’s wife Fati and daughter Marie from thirst as they crossed the desert had garnered global attention.
Amidst the harrowing tales of suffering, there were also stories of hope that the migrants shared with the Pope. Fr. Mattia highlighted that the compassion shown to these young people, whether at sea or on land, illustrates a profound truth: “when we rescue or welcome the poor, the migrants, it is they who are saving us.”
