Refugees' Joy Aboard Papal Plane Captured in Pope Francis' Video
— -- A video posted to Pope Francis' Instagram account Sunday revealed the three Syrian refugee families he brought from the Greek island of Lesbos back to the Vatican with him this weekend.
In the video, Pope Francis greeted the families before they boarded. The three families of Muslim Syrian refugees are made up of 12 people, including six children.
The pontiff then shook hands with the families on board, including some small children. The video captured the faces of smiling parents and wide-eyed children as they sat on the Francis's plane.
The parents and children then disembarked and were again greeted by a smiling Pope Francis.
“It's a small gesture, but one which we all need to offer to give a helping hand to those in need!" the video caption says.
The three families were already in camps in Lesbos before the European Union and Turkey agreed to detain any migrants arriving on Greek islands and return them to Turkey unless they successfully applied for asylum in Greece, according to a statement from the Director of the Holy See Press Office.
"The Vatican will take responsibility for bringing in and maintaining the three families," the statement said.
