Pope in Romania/Sovereign Pontiff: I pay tribute to sacrifice made by so many sons, daughters of Romania

Pope Francis on Friday paid tribute to the sacrifices made by "so many sons and daughters of Romania who, with their heritage of values and their work, enrich the countries to which they migrated and the fruits of their employment help their families left in the country." The Sovereign Pontiff, currently on a visit to Romania, held a speech at the Cotroceni presidential Palace on Friday, saying that thinking about those who are abroad is "an act of patriotism and fraternity." He evoked the evolution of Romania from the period of communism to the modern period. In this context, Pope Francis spoke of "the emergence of inevitable obstacles and consequences that have not always been easy to manage for social stability and for the administration of the territory." I am thinking firstly of the phenomenon of emigration, involving several millions of people who have left home and their homeland to look for new opportunities for working and decent living. (...) I am thinking of the depopulation of so many villages that in a few years have seen a considerable part of their inhabitants leaving. I am thinking of the consequences that all these can have on the quality of life in that territory and the weakening of your cultural roots that sustained you in difficult times, said the Sovereign Pontiff, according to official translations. Pope Francis paid homage to Romanian emigrants. "Thinking of our brothers and sisters who are abroad is an act of patriotism and fraternity," the Pope pointed out.AGERPRES(RO - author: Oana Ghita, editor: Georgiana Tanasescu; EN - author: Bogdan Gabaroi, editor: Maria Voican)