Plight of migrants ‘makes one cry’

Pope Francis said yesterday that the mistreatment of migrants who are escaping war and injustice “makes one cry”, as he visited the northern Italian city of Turin, stopping to pray before the shroud that some Christians believe is Jesus’ burial cloth.

The Church does not have an official position on the authenticity of the shroud of Turin, but has said the mysterious cloth, which has baffled scientists, is a powerful reminder of Jesus’ suffering.

Many popes have prayed before the shroud, which is kept locked behind an altar, and is on display for only the third time in 17 years. More than a million people have seen it since April.