Pope Francis defends Gypsies in Vatican address

Source: Guardian UK

Pope Francis has hit out at prejudice against Gypsies, urging people to stem their suspicion and calling on authorities to help those "at the margins of society" find greater means of integration.

In an address at the start of a five-day meeting in the Vatican on the pastoral care of migrants and itinerant people, the pope noted that Gypsies were sometimes seen with hostility and suspicion and were "barely involved in local political, economic or social dynamics".

In off-the-cuff remarks, he added that he had seen for himself the way in which parts of Italian society regarded them.

"I remember many occasions here in Rome where I would get on the bus and some Gypsies would get on too, and the driver would say: 'Keep an eye on your wallets'. This is scorn; it might be true, but it's scorn," he said, according to quotes reported by the Ansa news agency.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/05/pope-francis-defends-gypsies-vatican-address