In unison with the latest developments in Vatican, the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani avoided an ostentatious image of Christian symbols in his well wishing to Europeans. The image in his tweet is depicting a floral ornament with three cartoon figures in the centre, presumably of Jesus, Maria and Josef – the Holy Family is accompanied by a line with a minimal congratulations text.

Although the Christian symbolism in the message of the European parliament president is rather discrete, and text is short, the support of the major message of Pope Francis is articulate – the Holy family are also migrants and asylum-seekers, so the Europeans should perceive the flows of migrants through this prism, and continue to accept them  accordingly, exercising their hospitality as good Christians.

The message of regarding migrants as Holy Family, thus blessing, is the other angle of the EU prevailing political concept of migration as “enrichment”, actively promoted by German chancellor Angela Merkel, opening doors to flows of migrants from Africa and Middle East. The independent experts assess the rise of nationalist movements across Europe as a direct consequence of the EU migrant policy.