As Thousands Pour In, Germany, Austria Open Arms

Thousands of migrants streamed into Germany and Austria for a second day today, with Munich alone having 7,000 registered, a fraught journey that was capped with cheers, welcome signs, hot tea, and toys for their children. "I said to myself, I have to do something," one volunteer handing out drinks tells the New York Times, while a German lawmaker tells the AP that, "No decent person can remain cold and dismissive in the face of such suffering. Whoever refuses to do their part calls into question whether they can be part of Europe." German Chancellor Angela Merkel was meeting with coalition partners today to figure out what to do with the influx, reports the BBC, as her nation estimates it could open its borders to up to 800,000.

Pope Francis did not sit idly by, reports the AP, calling on every Catholic parish, convent, monastery, and sanctuary in Europe to host one migrant family. He put his money where his mouth is, announcing that the Vatican's two parishes would host two such families. "This has to be an eye-opener on how messed up the situation in Europe is now," Austria's foreign minister tells the Times. “I hope that this serves as a wake-up call that this cannot continue." Hungary, which had cracked down on the stream of migrants pouring in, opened its borders yesterday. (More migrants stories.)