VATICAN CITY– Pope Francis on Friday said that he dreamed of a Europe in which “being immigrant is not a crime”. While invoking the memory of EU’s founding fathers’ pursuit of integration in the aftermath of World War II, the pontiff said that they were inspired because they “dared to radically change the models” that had led to the war. In an address to a Vatican audience which included German Chancellor Angela Merkel – who has been at the centre of the EU’s attempts to resolve its biggest refugee crisis since the war ended in 1945 – the pope said, “Today more than ever, their vision inspires us to build bridges and tear down walls.” In a rhetorical flourish with echoes of Martin Luther-King’s legendary ‘I have a dream’ speech, the pope said that he dreamed of an era embellished by a new European humanism that embraced the poor, the elderly, the young and the sick. “I dream of a Europe where being a migrant is not a crime but a summons to greater commitment on behalf of the dignity of every human being,”he said. Francis’s comments came in a speech as the 79-year-old pontiff was presented with the EU’s Charlemagne Prize for his contribution to Europe’s unification.