Pope Francis arrived on the Greek Island of Lesbos on Sunday, where he shook hands, spoke with migrants and placed his hand on children’s heads, ahead of a planned prayer session in a marquee erected for the occasion.
The pontiff, who has used his current eastern Mediterranean tour to highlight the plight of migrants and refugees, last visited Lesbos in 2016, when the notoriously overcrowded Moria camp still existed.
That camp burned down in 2020, so Francis met the migrants at their provisional accommodation.
Francis was expected to spend about an hour with the migrants in a round trip of about four and a half hours following his departure from Athens in the morning.
The head of the Catholic Church also visited Cyprus as part of his trip, where he gave an impassioned speech on Friday, decrying ongoing migration crises