VATICAN - “Gypsies need a living Church, a Church-communion, which is capable of training and helping them to overcome the difficulties that high politics has been unable to get beyond.”: Final Document from the World Congress for the Pastoral Care of Gypsies

Freising (Agenzia Fides) – “We must fight racism, not with weapons, but with love, work and humility, by proving that beyond our shortcomings we also have values.” With these words of a young Gypsy concludes the Final Document from the Sixth World Congress for the Pastoral Care of Gypsies, promoted by the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, in collaboration with the German Bishops’ Conference, celebrated September 1-4, 2008 in Freising (Germany) on: “Young Gypsies in the Church and Society” (see Fides 1/9/2008;2/9/2008).
Among the Recommendations, articulated in 18 points, the first is “The situation of young Gypsies differs according to the countries where they live. Therefore, a degree of flexibility is needed in approaching the means for encouraging a process of genuine integration.” Above all, there is the need for the responsibilization of everyone in the integration of young Gypsies, according to the anti-discrimination standards and regulations, in order to ensure equal opportunity. “Governments should guarantee rights of full participation in society, facilitate access to nationality for foreigners and stateless persons and create opportunities for learning and mastering the national language. The question of a clear status for minorities should be envisaged. Moreover, young people have to be guaranteed the necessary support, resources and opportunities to enable them to lead an independent and autonomous life, and have the possibility of full social and political participation. Lack of access to basic services, such as welfare protection, healthcare and safe and healthy living conditions is a factor that can deprive young people of their necessary autonomy and thereby of effective responsibility.”
Another fundamental point for integration into society is that of education, instead of sending Gypsies to “special schools” that engender humiliation. However, certain special beneficial projects should continue to be encouraged, offering them the possibility of decent employment. “Access to various fundamental rights (decent housing, employment, education and healthcare) can be assisted by the training and deployment of Gypsy socio-cultural mediators.”
In the Recommendations, it also mentions the great responsibility of the mass media in the formation of public opinion: “They should play a role in raising awareness and training in order to combat prejudices against Gypsies. Moreover, the training of young Gypsy journalists must be encouraged in order to promote freedom of expression.” In regards to the situation of the women, forced sterilizations should be condemned and they should be educated as to their basic rights and participate in intercultural dialogue.
“The Church has many things to say to young people and young people also have many things to say to the Church,” the text reads, pointing out the importance of a frank and cordial dialogue that “pastoral action will be more incisive if it takes place in the context of small groups,” without forgetting the importance and unique value of pilgrimages, in order for various groups to meet each other.
In this specific pastoral care, a special role could be played by the ecclesial movements and new communities. Religious congregations, Catholic associations and ecclesial communities should also be involved in the specific pastoral care of young Gypsies. With this in mind, the Document indicates that “Gypsies need a living Church, a Church-communion, which is capable of training and helping them to overcome the difficulties that high politics has been unable to get beyond.”
The Recommendations also offer several indications as to sacramental catechesis (especially in preparation for Confirmation, “a sacrament that is almost unknown among the Gypsy community); the creation of a larger number of centers, espesially ecclesial centers that provide opportunities for leisure, study and professional training; the promotion of cultural exchange; “youth actions,” including meetings during pilgrimages and faith schools for young people, as well as their integration within wider humanitarian solidarity projects; prevention activities (voluntary work, associations, sports groups) to “drag them away” from inertia, lack of interest, drug, alcohol, etc.; form leaders within the community. Lastly, it would be useful to ask humanitarian organisations, such as Caritas, to issue and subsequently monitor micro-loans for families and communities that are most capable of using such funds on behalf of their ethnic group.
Before ending, the Document reads: “Young people have all the qualities to tackle all the challenges that a new evangelisation – linked to human promotion – pose for the Gypsy world at the cutting edge. Young people are capable of innovation and often manage to associate new solutions with traditional systems, by taking advantage of and benefiting from the experience and wisdom of their culture which, even though it is not “written down in books”, is not any less eloquent for that. So let’s take advantage of their virtues!” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 3/10/2008)