Pope Francis is returning to Lesbos, the Greek island that was at the heart of a massive wave of migration into Europe six years ago, after criticizing European governments on the handling of the crisis during a visit to two hard-hit countries.
The 84-year-old Francis will spend just two hours on the island, visiting a new holding center for migrants and asylum-seekers and presiding over a brief prayer service. On his previous visit in 2016, Francis brought back 12 Syrian Muslim refugees with him aboard the papal plane.
More than 1 million people, many fleeing war in Iraq and Syria, crossed from Turkey into Greece during 2015 and 2016, with Lesbos the busiest Greek crossing point. An overcrowded refugee camp at Moria on the island, which the pope visited in 2016, was destroyed by a fire last year. Among those invited to be on stage with Francis on Sunday is Christian Tango Mukaya, a Congolese father of three who lost track of his wife in their journey and is hoping his visibility with the pope might reunite them.
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