Mediterranean is cradle of civilization, shouldn't be a tomb - pope

(ANSA) - ROME, SEP 27 - Pope Francis reiterated his call for everything to be done to prevent migrants losing their lives trying to cross the Mediterranean during his weekly general audience on Wednesday.
    He also addressed the issue last week during his Apostolic Journey to Marseilles for the "Mediterranean Meetings" event on migration.
    "The dream, and the challenge, is that the Mediterranean might recover its vocation, that of being a laboratory of civilization and peace," Francis said.
    "The Mediterranean is the cradle of civilization and a cradle is for life.
    "It is not tolerable that it has become a tomb, neither should it be a place of conflict".
    The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says that over 2,350 people have died or disappeared in the Mediterranean this year, most on the central Mediterranean migrant route between North Africa and Italy.
    "The Mediterranean Sea is the complete opposite of the clash between civilizations, war, human trafficking," he said.
    "It is a means of communication between Africa, Asia, and Europe, between the north and the south, the east and the west, persons and cultures, peoples and tongues, philosophies and religions". (ANSA).