Pope Francis repeats term ‘concentration camps’ for migrant housing

Pope Francis stands by the term “concentration camps” for European migrant holding centers, despite the objections of the American Jewish Committee.

Pope Francis doubled down on remarks he made last week in which he compared some holding centers for migrants in Europe to “concentration camps.”

“There are refugee camps that are true concentration camps,” Francis answered when a German reporter asked him if he would retract the controversial term.

Francis referred to the centers as “concentration camps” last week at a ceremony commemorating modern-day Christian martyrs.

“These refugee camps — so many are concentration camps, crowded with people… because international accords seem more important than human rights,” Francis said as he was returning home from a trip to Egypt where he celebrated an open-air mass in the country’s capital, despite the high level of terror threats.

The American Jewish Committee immediately criticized the remarks and called on Francis to change his description.

“We respectfully urge the Pope to reconsider his regrettable choice of words,” stated American Jewish Committee CEO David Harris. “Precision of language and facts is absolutely essential when making any historical reference, all the more so when coming from such a prominent and admired world figure.”

“The conditions in which migrants are currently living in some European countries may well be difficult, and deserve still greater international attention, but concentration camps they certainly are not,” he continued. “The Nazis and their allies erected and used concentration camps for slave labor and the extermination of millions of people during World War II. There is no comparison to the magnitude of that tragedy.”

By: World Israel News Staff