ローマ教皇、水死したシリア難民男児の父と面会

【アルビルＡＦＰ＝時事】ローマ・カトリック教会のフランシスコ教皇（84）は7日夜、地中海で水死しシリア難民の苦境の象徴となった男児、アラン・クルディちゃん（当時3）の父親アブドラさんと面会した。（写真はイラク北部アルビルで、2015年にトルコの海岸に遺体が打ち上げられて大きなニュースとなったシリア難民の男児アラン・クルディちゃん＜当時3＞の父、アブドラさん＜左＞に話しかけるローマ・カトリック教会のフランシスコ教皇＜右＞
　アランちゃんは２０１５年、家族と共にシリア北部のアインアルアラブ（クルド名：コバニ）を脱出したが、地中海で船が沈没。トルコの海岸に打ち上げられたアランちゃんの小さな遺体の写真は世界中に衝撃を与え、欧州を目指す移民・難民の危険な船旅に改めて注目が集まった。
　フランシスコ教皇はイラクでの最後の公務を終えた後、同国北部のクルド人自治区アルビルでアブドラさんと面会。バチカン（ローマ教皇庁）によると、「教皇はアブドラさんと長い間、話をしていた」という。
　教皇は８日、歴代初のイラク訪問の日程を終え、帰国の途に就いた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】

〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2021/03/09-14:32）

Pope Francis on his last night in Iraq Sunday met the father of Alan Kurdi, the drowned Syrian Kurdish toddler who became a symbol of the plight of migrants.
The photos of Alan's tiny body, washed up on a Turkish beach in 2015, shocked the world and brought renewed attention to the deadly sea route many migrants take to reach the West.
After holding his last public event on Sunday, the 84-year-old met Alan's father Abdullah in Arbil, the capital of Iraq's northern Kurdistan region.
In a photograph published by the Vatican, the Pope is seen raising his hand as if offering a blessing while looking intently at Abdullah, who has his head bowed.
The Pope spoke for a long time with Abdullah Kurdi, and was able to hear the pain of a father who has lost his family, said a statement by the Vatican.
The Kurdi family originally hails from Kobane in northern Syria, and were hoping to one day resettle in Canada.
But their dream turned to a nightmare six years ago when three-year-old Alan drowned alongside his older brother Galip and his mother Rehanna.
The only survivor was Abdullah, who resettled in northern Iraq.
The Pope has for years called for an end to the conflict in Syria, which erupted in 2011 in protests against the ruling regime before spiralling into violence.
The ensuing war has killed more than 387,000 people, ravaged key infrastructure and displaced millions.
During an interfaith service in southern Iraq on Saturday, Pope Francis made a plea for unity after war.
Let us ask for this in praying for the whole Middle East. Here I think especially of neighbouring war-torn Syria, he said.
The pontiff will return to Rome on Monday morning but said he would always keep Iraq in his heart.