Pope assails 'scorn' for the Roma people

VATICAN CITY, June 5 (UPI) -- Pope Francis Thursday spoke out against scorn he has seen toward the Roma people, while noting the Roma must play their part to combat discrimination.

Speaking at a two-day Vatican conference named "The Church and Gypsies: Bringing the Gospel to the Peripheries." the pope urged a better integration of the Roma people, formerly known as Gypsies, into society.

"Often Gypsies find themselves at the margins of society, and often they're seen with hostility and suspicion. I remember here in Rome, I'd get on the bus, then some Gypsies would get on, and the driver would say 'Everyone watch your wallets'. This is scorn. Even if it's true, this is scorn," the Pope said.

He noted the Roma population, in any country, is "hardly involved in political, economic and civil society," and urged "local and national institutions, with the support of the international community, to come up with projects" to advance their lives.