Pope heads to Malta; Migration, Ukraine war top his agenda

By NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis is going to Malta this weekend, aiming to draw attention to Europe’s migration challenge that has only become more stark with the war in Ukraine. Francis is likely to encourage Europe’s embrace of Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion while also urging EU countries to extend the same welcome to migrants coming from Libya and elsewhere.  Malta, the European Union’s smallest country with a half-million people, has long been on the front lines of Mediterranean migration. It has frequently called for its bigger, northern European neighbors to shoulder more of the burden. Francis has frequently echoed that call.