Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Quito (Agenzia Fides) - “The reality of immigration is full of both opportunities and uncertainties, and dangers, for the people who set off on their journey. In Latin America and the Caribbean this sign of the times, the result of economic causes, politics and violence, is a phenomenon that is at times dramatic and affects millions of people: immigrants, internally displaced persons, and refugees,” says the Final Document published at the close of the IV Encounter of the “Plan Andino Hispano de Migraciones” (Hispanic-Andes Migration Plan) in Quito (Ecuador), with the theme: “Pastoral Attention for Immigrants of the Andes and Latin Americans.”
The meeting was attended by 35 people, in representation of the Bishops' Conferences and Caritas of Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, the United States, Spain, and Italy. The event is part of a joint effort that began over four years ago, in response to the impact of immigration on the population.
According to a statement issued for the event, the Catholic Church accompanies these, her brethren, “and wishes to offer them an improved service in the various phases of their migration process,” “acknowledging immigration as a right,” and preserving “the human dignity of the migrant in every circumstance.” It continues: “In the USA, a country known for its long history of migrant patterns, the pastoral attention to those who come from the outside is rich in initiatives and institutional responses that are in a constant process of renewal.” In Europe, however, “as the new arrival of large migratory patterns from Latin America, the primary concern has been to help the migrant confront the risks of social and economic insecurity, supporting their social integration. However, in spite of the efforts made, their ecclesial integration still seems in many cases to be weak and inefficient.”
The participants in the encounter make several suggestions for strengthening pastoral care of immigrants. Firstly, they mention the need for “both the immigrant and the society that receives them to overcome the economic evaluation of immigration, moving on to a vision of immigration as a right and an opportunity for integral human development.” Moreover, the cultural identity of the migrant should be respected, with an appreciation of the values of other cultures, adapting pastoral plans so as to guarantee an adequate attention, making sure that the pastoral activity integrates all these aspects.
They also mention the importance of the religious dimension in the life of the migrant, as well as the need for “the Churches of their homeland to make a commitment in accompanying the migrants pastorally speaking, in their discernment, in their insertion into the country of destination and, as far as possible, their return, with special attention to situations of family disintegration.”
They also consider it of great importance that a dialogue be established amidst the various Bishops' Conferences and Church institutions of the Andes countries with the USA and Europe, defining new modes of pastoral collaboration, promoting the responsibility of pastoral agents who are adequately trained in attending to the needs of migrants. “Policies, laws, and practices in the area of immigration should be made in support of family unity.”
“We are convinced that migration is not simply another problem; it is a reason for hope and an opportunity to build a better world together, with greater brotherhood and solidarity,” the text concludes. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 5/6/2009)
