Pope Francis expressed dismay at the plight of Roma people during an audience with members of the ethnic minority on Thursday.
"It's true that there are second-class citizens," Francis told around 500 Roma and Sinti people. "But the real second-class citizens are those who discard people, because they don't know how to embrace.
"They live by discarding and with a broom in their hand they throw out others.
"But the real road is that of fraternity, with doors open.
"We all have have to cooperate".
The meeting took place after a Roma family were subjected to threats after moving into a council flat they had been allocated by the city of Rome. "I pray for you. When I read such bad things in the newspapers, I suffer," he said.
The head of the 14-member family that is at the centre of the council-flat row said he had been invited to meet the pope on Thursday. "I don't know what we'll say to him," said the man, named Imer.
"We'll pray together".
Several people have been reported to prosecutors in relation to racist verbal abuse and threats the Roma people were subjected to during the council-flat protests in Rome's Casal Bruciato district, sources said on Thursday.
Among the people to have been cited is a man who allegedly shouted "I'll rape you" at a woman who was trying to get to the flat with her young child, the sources said.
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