After fleeing the Taliban, Khaibar Shafaq found purpose helping migrants with Catholic Charities. Jason Allen has more.

Kentucky

Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, has died at age 88 from a cerebral stroke and subsequent heart failure, the Vatican said.

Pope Francis Dies

Khaibar Shafaq, an Afghan refugee who fled from the Taliban, found a new purpose in life by assisting migrants through Catholic Charities in the United States. Through this work, Shafaq was inspired by Pope Francis, who is recognized for his advocacy for migrants' rights. After arriving in Kentucky without resources or a community, Shafaq received support from Catholic Charities, an organization deeply affected by Pope Francis' guidance on welcoming those in need. 

Shafaq, a Muslim, is now actively involved with Catholic Charities in his day-to-day life, where he helps others in similar situations as he once was. While the assistance to migrants and refugees represents a small portion of Catholic Charities’ overall work, the influence of Pope Francis has been a significant motivator, emphasizing the duty of faith to aid those in suffering. Carrie Alice Robinson, president of Catholic Charities USA, expressed ongoing commitment to this cause, regardless of future leadership changes in the papacy. Shafaq, reflecting on his journey, remains dedicated to carrying on the work inspired by Pope Francis' compassion for strangers.



Afghan refugee inspired by Pope Francis helping migrants

Candidate Donald Trump said he would be a dictator, but only on day one of his presidency. Well, now on day 100, he had a different idea. He said he'd like to be Pope. That was his joking response when a reporter asked if he had a preference as to who should succeed Pope Francis. Francis was quite serious when he rebuked the president on more than one occasion over his treatment of migrants. The Pope was the biggest champion migrants had on earth. Here's Jason Allen. Inside his home in Owensboro, Kentucky. Good morning. Khaibar Shafak is up before sunrise. There is a new baby in the house, three kids to get out the door to school before he heads into the office. It is a normal American life. Just four years ago, however, Shafak was among the Afghans fleeing their country as it fell to the Taliban. What did you have when you arrived here? In Kentucky, no friends, no home. No sense of belonging, nothing. The agency tasked with supporting Shafak, a Muslim, was Catholic Charities. From his first days as Pope, Francis called attention to people fleeing from suffering. His first trip outside Rome was to Lampedusa, an island destination for migrants from Africa. Carrie Alice Robinson is the president of Catholic Charities USA. Having Pope Francis emphasize this as constitutive of the gospel, constitutive of what it means to be a person of faith, really was a kind of a boost in the arm for all of us. Shafak spent his career helping others who were in need after disasters. And yet you still say you wouldn't have been able to do that and establish a life here without that assistance. To be honest, I reached to a point that I lost hope. Shafak now works for Catholic Charities. The Pope may change, but the inspiration from Francis, Shafak told me, will not. I will remember forever. Whatever we do here is what he has been doing since long time, welcoming the strangers. Assisting migrants and refugees only makes up about 5% of the population. And that's a lot of people. And I think that's a lot of people only makes up about 5% of what Catholic Charities does, but in part because of the spotlight that Francis put on the work. Robinson told me she expects the commitment to that work to continue no matter who the next Pope is.

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Pope Francis Dies