During the 105th annual World Day of Migrants and Refugees in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Pope Francis unveiled a remarkable sculpture called Angels Unaware to encourage kindness and acceptance towards refugees.
Sculpted by Canadian artist Timothy P. Schmalz, the monument is comprised of 140 figures – ranging from a Syria war child to a Jewish man fleeing Nazi Germany – on a crowded boat. An angel in the middle welcomes the individuals with its hovering wings, referring to Hebrews 13:2: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
Schmalz stated on CBC that officials of the Vatican officials were seeking “a new design on the idea of migration that conveyed that migration is not a crisis, but something that people have done for thousands of years.”
The artist explains that the monument, consisting of diverse groups sharing an experience, is a reminder that “we have all come from another place.”
