When a Greek priest suggested that if Greece found a home for all the migrants and refugees in its camps, Turkey would just let more come over, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski balked.

"That's like a hospital saying it shouldn't release healthy patients because empty rooms could cause more accidents. That's politics ... we are here to help," said the cardinal, who, as papal almoner, distributes charity on behalf of Pope Francis.

Three years after Pope Francis visited Lesbos and took 12 refugees back to Rome with him, Cardinal Krajewski returned to the Greek island May 8 to check on the situation for the pope, to make contact with government officials and to distribute more than $100,000 to Caritas Hellas and to projects the Greek Catholic charity is supporting.