Pope Francis has left Rome and flown to Cyprus, where he will meet with leaders of church groups from the islands, as well as with migrants living there, ahead of Easter.
The pope lands in Cyprus at 8 a.m. local time, traveling by helicopter in a meeting with Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades. The pope, whose visit is focused on Christian refugees, will give a homily at St. Peter’s Basilica at 8:30 a.m. local time. He will also meet with refugees, as well as with political figures on both sides of the disputed border between the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot-controlled south and the breakaway Turkish Cypriot northern.
Later Thursday, he will visit a refugee camp in the northern part of the island, during which he will meet migrants and immigration activists before leaving the island.
This is the second time Pope Francis has visited the Republic of Cyprus. In 2015, he toured Mount Athos, the city for the world’s most ancient priestly order.
During the visit, Francis will meet with the refugees in refugee camps and with scores of immigrants living in the communities that deal with their daily needs. It is also his third time speaking to migrants, refugees and migrants after a trip to Sudan and Kenya in 2014 and a stop in Rome last year.
In a recent video message, the pope said that Christians must give hope to people around the world who are suffering through war, poverty and persecution.
He compared the actions of the church to the biblical chapter of the Annunciation in Luke, which is known as the night before Easter.
“It is called the night before Holy Thursday. Let us make this one of joy. Christians must give hope. The Annunciation of God to Mary was a great hope,” he said.
The pope’s message was delivered to a gathering of more than 1,300 individuals from 80 countries, gathered in Kampala, Uganda, on Dec. 13 for the world conference of laity on immigration.
“The awareness of the Christian face is that this Gospel mercy and forgiveness so offered to the victims of evil or of terrorism, as well as to all those who suffer and are persecuted for their faith, especially are much needed today,” he said.
The trip will include the canonization of 20th-century preacher Junipero Serra, whom the pope plans to canonize in another homily. Serra is the most recent in a line of priests who spread Christianity in what is now California and the first person Pope Francis plans to canonize.
It was expected that Francis would canonize Serra, who founded a 17th-century mission system that marked a religious transformation in that region, but he announced the plan only in November, setting off protests from U.S. Native Americans.
He comes to Cyprus as the government and the opposition have committed to turning the Mediterranean island into a refugee camp, aiming to deal with the growing flow of refugees. Anastasiades has pledged to relocate thousands of people to the island.
So far, it is unclear what Francis, who has often spoken out against nationalism and protectionism, will say about the island’s immigration issue, which has gripped the attention of both the international community and Pope Francis.