“He has nothing against France as such,” said Nicolas Senèze, journalist at La Croix.

Pope Francis insists that he is not coming to visit France, he is coming to visit Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône). Does he have anything against France? “He has nothing against France as such (…) but what interests him are small churches”explains Nicolas Senèze, journalist at La Croix. “He comes for a particular event which is the Mediterranean meetings”, adds Nicolas Seneze. The pope wants to focus on the Mediterranean question and what is happening in Europe.

The Pope will visit the memorial for those lost at sea

The issue of migrants will therefore be at the heart of the visit. “The Pope has spoken several times of the Mediterranean as being a cemetery”, specifies the journalist. He will also go during his visit to Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône) to the memorial for those lost at sea. The Catholic doctrine of the church concerning migrants is “first the question of urgency (…), we work on reintegration and then it is also settling the question of their departure”explains Nicolas Senèze.