Vatican City, 21 November 2014 (VIS) –
“Migration is still an aspiration to hope, notwithstanding new
developments and the emergence of situations which are at times
painful and even tragic”, said the Pope in his address to the
participants in the Seventh World Congress for the Pastoral Care of
Migrants, affirming the powerful hope that inspires many inhabitants
of troubled areas throughout the world to seek a better future for
their families in other places, even at the risk of disappointment
and failure. This, he remarked, is caused in great part by the
economic crisis which, to differing degrees, affects every country.
The three-day Congress highlighted the
dynamics of cooperation and development in the pastoral care of
migrants. “First and foremost you have analysed the factors which
cause migration, in particular: inequality, poverty, overpopulation,
the growing need for employment in some sectors of the global job
market, disasters caused by climate change, wars and persecution, and
the desire of younger people to relocate as they seek new
opportunities. Moreover, the link between cooperation and development
shows, on the one hand, the difference of interests between states
and migrants, and, on the other hand, the opportunities which derive
for both”.
“In effect, receiving nations draw
advantages from employing immigrants for production needs and
national prosperity, not infrequently filling gaps created by the
demographic crisis”, observed the Holy Father. “In turn, the
nations which migrants leave show a certain reduction in unemployment
and, above all, benefit from earnings which are then sent back to
meet the needs of families which remain in the country. Emigrants, in
the end, are able to fulfil the desire for a better future for
themselves and their families. Yet we know that some problems also
accompany these benefits. We find in the countries of origin, among
other things, an impoverishment due to the so-called 'brain drain',
the effects on infants and young people who grow up without one or
both parents, and the risk of marriages failing due to prolonged
absences. In the receiving nations, we also see difficulties
associated with migrants settling in urban neighbourhoods which are
already problematic, as well as their difficulties in integrating and
learning to respect the social and cultural conventions which they
find. In this regard, pastoral workers play an important role through
initiating dialogue, welcoming and assisting with legal issues,
mediating with the local population. In the countries of origin, on
the other hand, the closeness of pastoral workers to the families and
children of migrant parents can lessen the negative repercussions of
the parents’ absence”.
However, the Congress affirmed that the
implications of the Church's pastoral concern in the overall context
of cooperation, development and migration go much further, and “it
is here that the Church has much to say. The Christian community, in
fact, is continuously engaged in welcoming migrants and sharing with
them God’s gifts, in particular the gift of faith”. Furthermore,
the Church “promotes pastoral plans for the evangelisation and
support of migrants throughout their journey from their country of
origin, through countries of transit, to the receiving countries. She
gives particular attention to meeting the spiritual needs of migrants
through catechesis, liturgy and the celebration of the Sacraments”.
“Sadly”, he added, “migrants
often experience disappointment, distress, loneliness and
marginalisation. In effect, the migrant worker has to deal with the
problem both of being uprooted and needing to integrate. Here the
Church also seeks to be a source of hope: she develops programs of
education and orientation; she raises her voice in defence of
migrants’ rights; she offers assistance, including material
assistance to everyone, without exception, so that all may be treated
as children of God. When encountering migrants, it is important to
adopt an integrated perspective, capable of valuing their potential
rather than seeing them only as a problem to be confronted and
resolved. The authentic right to development regards every person and
all people, viewed integrally. This demands that all people be
guaranteed a minimal level of participation in the life of the human
community. How much more necessary must this be in the case of the
Christian community, where no one is a stranger and, therefore,
everyone is worthy of being welcomed and supported”.
“The Church, beyond being a community
of the faithful that sees the face of Jesus Christ in its neighbour,
is a Mother without limits and without frontiers. She is the Mother
of all and so she strives to foster the culture of welcome and
solidarity, where no one is considered useless, out of place or
disposable. … Migrants, therefore, by virtue of their very
humanity, even prior to their cultural values, widen the sense of
human fraternity. At the same time, their presence is a reminder of
the need to eradicate inequality, injustice and abuses. In that way,
migrants will be able to become partners in constructing a richer
identity for the communities which provide them hospitality, as well
as the people who welcome them, prompting the development of a
society which is inclusive, creative and respectful of the dignity of
all”.
The Pope concluded by invoking upon the
participants in the Congress “the protection of Mary, Mother of
God, and St. Joseph, who themselves experienced the difficulty of
exile in Egypt”.
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