Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – In his latest encyclical, “Caritas in veritate”, the Holy Father Benedict XVI, speaking of integral human development, reflects on the phenomenon of migration (n. 62), “ a striking phenomenon because of the sheer numbers of people involved, the social, economic, political, cultural and religious problems it raises, and the dramatic challenges it poses to nations and the international community.”. The Holy Father writes: “ We can say that we are facing a social phenomenon of epoch-making proportions that requires bold, forward-looking policies of international cooperation if it is to be handled effectively. Such policies should set out from close collaboration between the migrants' countries of origin and their countries of destination; it should be accompanied by adequate international norms able to coordinate different legislative systems with a view to safeguarding the needs and rights of individual migrants and their families, and at the same time, those of the host countries. No country can be expected to address today's problems of migration by itself. We are all witnesses of the burden of suffering, the dislocation and the aspirations that accompany the flow of migrants. The phenomenon, as everyone knows, is difficult to manage; but there is no doubt that foreign workers, despite any difficulties concerning integration, make a significant contribution to the economic development of the host country through their labour, besides that which they make to their country of origin through the money they send home. Obviously, these labourers cannot be considered as a commodity or a mere workforce. They must not, therefore, be treated like any other factor of production. Every migrant is a human person who, as such, possesses fundamental, inalienable rights that must be respected by everyone and in every circumstance ”.
The Catholic Church has given direct attention to this phenomenon of almost a century. Jesus himself was a migrant, and therefore the Church has always shown concern for the plight of migrants and their dignity, considering them as human persons and women as friends, never as foreigners. It was Pope Saint Pius X who, in 1914, instituted a National Day for Migrations for Italy: the main purpose in those war times was to be united and to show solidarity to Italians forced to leave the country because of the world war and desperate living conditions. Since 2004 the Day has been marked all over the world and includes immigrants, refugees, Rom, Sint and circus people and street artists…
It was again Pope Saint Pius X who in 1912, created the first Vatican Office to deal with the problems of migration, whereas in 1970, Pope Paul VI instituted the Pontifical Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migration and Tourism which in 1988 became the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral care of Migrants and Itinerant peoples; the duty of the Council is to care for persons “forced to abandon their homeland or without any homeland”. Pope Paul VI, in 1969 issued an Apostolic Letter in the form of a motu proprio, Pastoralis migratorum cura, giving instructions for the pastoral care of migrants, assuring special care for the migrant and the person, according to the time in history, the needs and complexity. Then thirty five years later his suggestions were updated in 2004, with the Istruzione Erga migrantes caritas Christi issued by the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral care of Migrants and Itinerant peoples, in which the signs of the times, and the change of the modalities of migration are examined with a new spirit, and with the certainty that unity and communion among peoples is possible, with reciprocal respect and defence of human dignity and human life in all its forms and colours.
Tomorrow Saturday 11 July, Fides will publish a Dossier on the Church's Magisterium on the Phenomenon of Migration. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 10/7/2009; righe 44, parole 650)
