杏MAP导航

By Stefanie Stahlhofen and Edoardo Giribaldi

鈥淚t was very fast, but it was beautiful.鈥�

Ouwais Sadek was one of the 25 refugee students who met 杏MAP导航 Francis in Lisbon on Thursday, the second day of his Apostolic Journey to Portugal for World Youth Day.

A special moment

Sadek hails from Syria, and prior to his meeting with the 杏MAP导航, he expressed his concern for his country: 鈥淚f there is a power to take Syria from the isolation we are living in, that would be beautiful.鈥�

Following the encounter, the young student defined those few intense moments as 鈥渟pecial", in an interview with Vatican News' Stefanie Stahlhofen.

Branches of one tree

Sadek is Muslim, but that didn鈥檛 prevent him from feeling 杏MAP导航 Francis鈥� closeness.

Opportunity to aspire

The opportunity for Sadek and other students to find a new life after fleeing their country was made possible through the 杏MAP导航 Francis Fund, 鈥渆stablished in 2017,鈥� as recalled by Isabel Maria de Oliveira Capeloa Gil, Rector of the Catholic University of Portugal, 鈥渢o support refugees and migrants.鈥�

The Fund has provided assistance for 50 students so far, with 25 of them who had the possibility to thank the 杏MAP导航 鈥渇or the opportunity to be able to aspire, have a life, have a career after fleeing war, famine and inequality.鈥�

The Rector told Vatican News that the students come from Libya, Syria, Afghanistan, and the majority of them are not Christians. 鈥淭his is a safe space for all believers and non-believers,鈥� she concluded.