Pope unveiled a monument to migrants in St. Peter's Square

Entitled Angels Unware, the monument created by Canadian sculptor Timothy Schmalz, who specializes in religious sculpture, was unveiled last week by Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square.The sculpture, installed in the forecourt of the square in front of the basilica to celebrate World Migrant Day, is made of bronze and clay and depicts a group of migrants from different historical periods, all life-size and standing on a raft, their faces tried by suffering. The pontiff expressly wanted it in the square to remind everyone of “the Gospel challenge of welcoming,” as Pope Francis himself pointed out during the Angelus on Sept. 29.

The pope unveiled the statue together with a family of immigrants from Cameroon: it is set to remain in St. Peter’s Square for the duration of one week, after which the work will be moved to the Vatican (it will be placed in the gardens). According to reports, the idea for the sculpture was suggested to Schmalz by Father Michael Czerny, undersecretary of the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Dicastery for the Service of Integral Human Development at the Holy See (created cardinal the day before yesterday, at the Consistory on Oct. 5).

“As Christians,” Pope Francis said during his homily at the Mass celebrated on World Refugee Day, “we cannot be indifferent in the face of the drama of old and new poverty, of the darkest solitudes, of the contempt and discrimination of those who do not belong to ’our’ group. We cannot remain numb, with anesthetized hearts, to the misery of so many innocent people. We cannot fail to weep. We cannot fail to react.”

Pope unveiled a monument to migrants in St. Peter's Square

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