Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Fides Service) – This morning, 18 November, the 5th International Conference on the Pastoral Care for Migrants and Refugees promoted by the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples opened at the Augustinianum Patristic Institute in Rome. The theme of the Conference is “Starting out again from Christ for renewed Pastoral Care for Migrants and Refugees”. The Conference is attended by 297 participants from 99 different countries include cardinals, bishops priests religious men and women committed laity, experts and a few observers. The objective is to discuss the growing phenomenon of migration and the problems of refugees in order to discern concrete solutions to meet the different situations and realities.
In his speech of introduction Cardinal Stephen Fumio Hamao, President of the Pontifical Council which promoted the event illustrated the reasons for this 5th conference starting from the theme chosen. The world of today has many problems, with the help of God each person must play his or her part to find concrete solutions to all the many painful situations in the world of human mobility. In his Apostolic Letter “Novo Millennio Ineunte”, Pope John Paul II wrote “we will be saved not by a formula, but by a Person” (NMI 29), namely, Jesus Christ. In line with the Holy Father, in this conference we decided to “start out again from Christ and renew in his our pastoral programme for migrants and refugees in the coming year –Cardinal Fumio Hamao said. We will start out from Christ wagering on charity. Christ is especially present in the poor who calls the Church to make them “preferential option” (NMI 49). “No one can be excluded from our love because with his incarnation the Son of God united himself with every human being” (GS 22, NMI 49).” This presents the Church with a challenge to work for a new more fraternal world, more welcoming in solidarity, and world of freedom and peace. The Cardinal ended with a recommendation found in the Pope’s Exhortation: out time is one of constant movement which often becomes agitation risking to do for the sake of doing; we must resist the temptation and try to “be” before we “do” (NMI 15).
Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, Secretary of the Council, was the moderator during the first morning of the Conference. Mrs Gabriella Rodriguez, UN delegate on the Human Rights of Migrants spoke on “the Present situation in international migration”. She spoke of policies to defend the rights of migrants and prevent or stop violation of these rights. The tendency to adopt restrictive migratory policies is today undeniable. The media often give a distorted view of the effects of migration, producing reactions certainly not favourable towards migrants. Migration is a key question for the country of origin and that of destination. The situation calls for international cooperation to protect persons forced to emigrate despite the dangers it entails: trafficking of human beings, sexual abuse of women and children, forced labour, almost slavery, administrative detention based on juridical foundations too broad and too discretional, absence of lack of juridical, medical, social and psychological assistance
Prof. Stefano Zamagni, President of the International Catholics Commission for Migration speaking on “International Refugees and Migrants: Analysis and suggestions for intervention”, examined the new causes behind the movement of refugees and administrative solutions adopted by states to limit the number. Prof. Zamagni suggested seven measures to adopt in order to coordinate control of emigration while defending the rights of refugees.
Cardinal Theodore McCarrick Archbishop of Washington said that the subject of the concern of the conference is people in mobility whom the Church must protect and to whom she must give witness of common brotherhood. In fact the present situation in the world shows a sad reality of millions who have lost the right or the opportunity to exercise the right to stay in their own land. The Cardinal listed the causes which, in his opinion, generate in present day society enormous problems of movement of peoples. Lastly he indicated ways in which the Church can improve these people’s quality of life.(S.L.) (Fides Service 18/11/2003 – lines 53 ; words 729)-
