Pope Francis welcomed in Cyprus by politicians, clergy and children

Rome Pope Francis has embarked on a five-day trip to Cyprus and Greece, landing at Larnaca Airport in Cyprus on Thursday after a three-hour flight. He was welcomed by politicians, clergy and a group of children. “Pope Francis, symbol of peace” was written on a hand-painted sign held aloft by a child. Afterwards, the delegation travelled on to the capital Nicosia. For the head of the Catholic Church, the focus of the trip to the eastern part of the Mediterranean is the refugee crisis. The division of Cyprus since the Turkish invasion in 1974 will also be discussed. On Friday evening, Francis will meet migrants in Nicosia. He is scheduled to take some of them to Rome later.During the second part of the trip, the pontiff will travel to Lesbos. In 2016, he visited what was then the Moria refugee camp and brought some refugees with him on the plane to the Vatican. (dpa)