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2017-36 JT Chapter 3: Comparative analysis 37 Reageer Europe rather than undertake the journey by boat. 116 In the United States, nine national organisations have been selected to work on refugee resettlement on behalf of the government. The Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS) is one of these. 117 Out of the 69,933 refugees admitted to the U.S. in 2015, 10,514 are being resettled by the LIRS with the help of individuals, local organisations and congregations 118 . Another of the official nine refugee resettlement agencies is the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) through its Migration & Refugee Services (MRS) 119 . Like the LIRS, the MRS cooperates with dioceses, local churches and individuals to assist refugees in meeting basic needs such as shelter, food, clothing, work and language classes 120 . The major difference in the two churches’ practical approach to the refugee crisis results out of their ecclesial order and structures. While the Catholic Church exerts moral influence in the political arena through the legal entity of the Holy See, by which it claims universal governance over Catholics worldwide, the Lutheran churches do not have a similar central body. Furthermore Pope Francis, through his office of Roman Pontiff, represents the juridical, political and doctrinal unity of worldwide Catholicism and therefore has an outreach to more than one billion Catholics. He also serves as a moral point of reference for many outside of the Church. In addition to his political and moral weight he regularly speaks in spiritual terms about how people, and Catholics in particular, ought to deal with the refugee crisis. His admonitions are regularly echoed, albeit not always accurately, 116 Community of Sant’Egidio (2016) Humanitarian corridors are open. From Italy a signal of hope for Europe accessed June 29, 2016 at http://www.santegidio.org/pageID/1165/langID/en/itemID/756/Dossier-What-are-the-humanitarian- corridors.html. 117 Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (undated) Resettling Refugees accessed June 29, 2016 at http://lirs.org/our-work/people-we-serve/refugees/resettling-refugees/. 118 Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (2016) Refugee Resettlement accessed June 29, 2016 at http://lirs.org/refugee-resettlement/. 119 Refugee Council USA (undated) History of the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program accessed June 29, 2016 a t http://www.rcusa.org/history. 120 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (undated) Resettlement Services accessed June 29, 2016 a t http://www.usccb.org/about/resettlement-services/index.cfm.