In new interview, pope explains aim of synod, warns against nationalism

I know where the Pope is going with this, however nations need borders and have interests. Nationalism as he is describing it is the alienation of non-native people as part of a national problem, not people looking for sanctuary and a new life. This is profoundly acute in Europe as many thousands have crossed the Mediterranean from Africa, and more recently around a million Syrian refugees arrived with the blessing of the EU government, to the consternation of several member states. This in turn precipitated Brexit, among other political issues and gave rise to right-wing parties that have views that inspire some bad memories in that neck of the woods.

I think you can do all of it, help those who need help, allow in those seeking a better life, safeguard those threatened with violence, and secure ourselves from importing some of that violence. The proper way to do that is by housing refugees as near to their home as possible where they can be safeguarded, and processing those seeking temporary or permanent asylum at that location. With a Visa in hand, they could travel from there. This also better allows for the possibility (indeed probability) of repatriating them once the violence in their homeland is resolved.
This isn't my idea. It is actual UN Doctrine that they have been living by for decades, only recently deviated from because the EU decided to open their doors to over a million Syrians. Syria is a particularly thorny issue, as one could reasonably assume that there would be some reprisals by the Assad regime against them. But the EU probably added hundreds of thousands of people they didn't need to by that policy, and the electorate did not like it.

Wife is Catholic, but I don't know the religion.