Two Totally Different Situations, A Wall Apart

In a recent interview, Pope Francis again spoke out against America’s planned wall/fence along the U.S./Mexican border, calling it “cruel” and “very sad.” Apparently forgetting or discounting, yet again, that his quarters and the center of the Catholic faith at the Vatican is surrounded by a solid, centuries-old, very high Wall!

We have designated, legal entry points along our southern border where those with documentation may enter the U.S., as well as permitting migrants to apply there for future entry.  The Vatican wall also has an entry point where anyone may enter, to include tourists, area residents, and those of the faith from around the world.

But how would the Pope’s stance against walls, and his y’all come posture change were tens of thousands of migrants, men, women, & children, begin surging into the expansive Vatican enclosure, seeking food, water, medical care, sanitation, shelter, and provisions for sleeping, while refusing to leave the enclosure, since they would have no means to go elsewhere. And then tens of thousands more continue to come, in a seemingly never-ending wave.

One would have to believe, despite his best intentions, that the huge number camping out there, and needing to be cared for, would quickly rub raw every staff member, Vatican police personnel, Italian military forces, and quite probably the Holy Father.  Certainly can’t speak for his reaction, but as the surge has overwhelmed us here, that massive hoard of migrants, that continue to come, would certainly reach the point of having to clear the enclosure and closing that one entry point, normally left wide open.

So far, Italy doesn’t seem to have the intensity issue with migrants coming into their country that we, here, have been facing, continually over the past year-plus.   So the illustration above is purely hypothetical.  But were the Vatican to be over-run by continuing huge numbers of people seeking all manner of basic needs and services, it’s reasonable to believe that the Vatican wall would not be looked upon by the Vatican’s principal resident as “cruel” or “very sad.”  At that point, as with our own situation in America, the wall there, and the fence here, would thankfully be considered a worthy solution.  A God-send, in fact.