Pope returns to Greek isle at heart of Europe migrant debate

Pope Francis is returning to Lesbos, the Greek island that was at the heart of a massive wave of migration into Europe

LESBOS, Greece -- Pope Francis returned Sunday to Lesbos, the Greek island at the heart of a massive wave of migration into Europe to comfort its asylum-seekers, after pointedly criticizing European governments for their current handling of migrants during a visit to two hard-hit countries.

Arriving at the Mavrovouni camp, a maskless Francis took his time walking along the barricades, patting children on the head, asking them their names and posing for selfies. He was greeted by hopeful asylum-seekers shouting “Welcome!" “We love you!”

The 84-year-old Francis is spending just two hours at the camp, where would-be refugees live in white U.N. containers at the water's edge and barbed wire fencing lines the camp entrance. On his previous visit in 2016, Francis brought back 12 Syrian Muslim refugees with him aboard the papal plane.

The pope is on a five-day visit to Cyprus and Greece that has been dominated by the topic of migration. In Cyprus on Friday he denounced the “culture of indifference" shown to migrants, and in Athens on Saturday he urged European governments to take in migrants “in proportion to each country’s means.”