Pope Francis Urges Europe's Catholics to Shelter Migrants and Refugees

Pope Francis has asked that every Roman Catholic Church parish and facility in Europe do its part to help the crushing human flood of refugees and migrants that have traveled thousands of miles from Africa and the Middle East to seek a better life in Europe.

The Washington Post reports that Francis made the call in an address to Catholics gathered in St. Peter's Square and that his request with met with loud cheers and applause by those gathered to hear him give mass. He asked that parishes, monasteries, and other Catholic communities open their arms to the hundreds of thousands of migrants who have come to Europe.

The Vatican itself and its parishes will also offer refugees shelter.

This is not the first time that Francis has involved himself in the ongoing saga that is the European migrant crisis.

In 2013, he visited an Italian island that is a major gateway for migrants coming to Europe via the sea.

The Pope's offering shelter to migrants come on the heels of other powerful politicians like Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila and the leader of the government of Scotland saying they will open their private residences to migrants.

Thousands of people continue to rush into Europe from conflict zones like Syria and Libya. After 11,000 people made it to Germany via Austria the other day, the Austrian government said that another 2,000 people were already lined up at its borders. It is believed more than 330,000 people have entered Europe this year alone.

For all of those that have made it, thousands have also died, drowned in the Mediterranean because their boat was overloaded or inadequate. At the mercy of human smugglers, many have also been found dead along the route, including more than 50 people in the back of a truck in Austria.