Pope: the migrant, "a reminder of the need to eradicate inequality, injustice and abuses"
Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Emigration " remains an aspiration to hope... to seek a better future wherever that may be " and should not be seen only as a problem to be solved, but as " a reminder of the need to eradicate inequality, injustice and abuses" and a real possibility of cooperation for the development of the countries of origin, and of those who welcome those who leave.
Today's
meeting with the participants of the VII World Congress of the pastoral
care of migrants allowed Pope Francis
to point out that the person who leaves
his or her native country is not only
a person who contributes to economic development, but also possible "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".
In this area "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. The
Church promotes pastoral plans for the evangelization 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."
In his address to participants at the
conference sponsored by the Pontifical
Council for the Pastoral Care of
Migrants and Itinerant Peoples on "Co-operation and development in the pastoral care of migrants,"
the Pope said today that "migration is still an aspiration to hope. Above all in areas of the world in
difficulty, where the lack of work prevents individuals and their families from
achieving a dignified life, there is a strong drive to seek a better future
wherever that may be, even at the risk of disappointment and failure. This is caused in great part by the economic
crisis which, to different degrees, is affecting every country in the world".
An examination of the dynamics of cooperation and development in the pastoral migration accomplished in Congress, said the Pope, has highlighted the factors that cause migration, "First and foremost you have analyzed 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. 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".
"Sadly, migrants often experience disappointment, distress and loneliness. 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. I wrote of this in my Message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees this year: "It is less the criteria of efficiency, productivity, social class, or ethnic or religious belonging which ground that personal dignity, so much as the fact of being created in God's own image and likeness (cf. Gen 1:26-27) and, even more so, being children of God. Every human being is a child of God! He or she bears the image of Christ!" 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".
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11/08/2017 20:05
11/11/2004
