'No Muslim leader has done what he has done:' Pope Francis returns to Vatican with 12 migrants

'He saved our lives. To me, he is now like an angel, a new father who saves the lives of his children.'

Pope Francis traveled to Lesbos, Greece, to speak on behalf of the thousands of migrants streaming into the small island. When the pontiff departed back to Rome, he did so with twelve migrants in tow and has offered them a safe haven at the Vatican.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - According to BBC, Pope Francis rescued a family consisting of two engineers and their two-year-old son, a teacher and tailor with their three children and a couple with two children - one of whom has been severely scarred from their life in Damascus suburb Zamalka.

Each of the families had their homes destroyed by air strikes and bombings.

After his journey to Lesbos, Greece, where he spread a humanitarian and religious message of acceptance, Pope Francis decided to make a "last minute decision" to return to the Vatican with three migrant families in tow.

On the plane ride to Rome, Pope Francis explained the families were chosen because their papers were already in order. The pontiff explained, "This initiative is purely humanitarian."

The of the tailor, Suhila, told NCB News: "[When] I heard the pope chose us to come to Rome, I thought it was incredible. He saved our lives. To me, he is now like an angel, a new father who saves the lives of his children."

Suhila was so overcome with emotion she admitted she couldn't remember what she told the Pope. "I was overwhelmed with emotions," she explained. "No Muslim leader has done what he has done."

Osama, who traveled with his wife and two children, said, "I still don't believe we are here now. He is the father of peace in the world, and peace has no religion."

Nour, one of the engineers, said the Pope was "more important than any Muslim religious man, because what the pope did with us has never been done by an Arabic leader or by a Muslim religious man."

The first step each family has decided to take is to learn Italian. The families have signed up for classes so they can "communicate quickly with the Italian people."

Nour stated: "I would [like] to say to the Italian people we are normal people like you. We are not terrorists. We are not jihadists. We just ran out of our country because of the war, and we love you."

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