Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Fides Service) - “The Plenary Assembly confirmed the conviction that dialogue is the indispensable path to enable every person to become really alive, in the search for the truth about God, mankind and the world”: this statement is part of a final document issued by the16th plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Itinerant Peoples held 17 - 19 May in the Vatican, during which the members and consultors of the Council reflected on the necessity and modalities of ecumenical, interreligious and intercultural dialogue in the world of human mobility.
The document underlined that the pastoral and missionary dialogue - a relatively new reality in the context of human mobility - which the Council intends to promote, possibly with an ecumenical dimension, must follow certain precise criteria , first of all formation of consciences, “in the awareness that love for Christ pushes us to reach out to others, to strangers with charity and respect, accepting them making no distinction of creed or nationality and seeing in the person in need Christ himself who comes to us”. Other aspects to consider: search for “seeds of the Word” in different religious communities; acquire deeper understanding of the concepts of truth and dialogue, identity and relations with others in the light of the newness of Christian revelation and the teaching of the Church; identify positive aspects, often linked with culture, offered by different religions; recognition of cultural, ecumenical and interreligious dialogue as a necessary method for measuring reciprocal openness and availability to get involved in the process of building human civilisation for the common good; recognition that dialogue is difficult; it requires perseverance and discernment; respect for cultures and situations of the peoples and individuals encountered, avoiding proselytism, but remembering at the same time the duty of explicit and implicit evangelisation which cannot be renounced.
The Plenary calls on local Churches which must play a leading role in dialogue with the world of human mobility to give special attention to the following elements: prayer, that the message of Jesus Christ may be welcomed; develop listening abilities, attitudes of trust and opening, accepting, appreciating and even loving those who are “different”; prepare for dialogue with specific formation programmes for seminarians, men and women religious, pastoral workers; offer catechesis not only to the children of migrants, but also to families and the communities in which they live with special attention to women, often subject to exploitation; transform parishes in places of formation to hospitality where through dialogue questions regarding identity, culture, ethnic origin and trust can be solved; for missionary dialogue make use of the media, especially local radio programmes and not forgetting the Internet.
Reflecting on the dramatic situation of refugees the Council recalled that dialogue must take on new dimensions and it faces new challenges: many refugees are Muslims; there is a need for pastoral plans at the interreligious level which respect differences but at the same time do not put all religions on the same level, nor do they ignore the zones of convergence and divergence; we need a method of dialogue which helps refugees understand Christian values and the concept of integral development of the person and equality of men and women; the tendency among Muslims to emphasise questions of One and the individual, while Christians emphasise plurality, immersed as they are in the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity.
“In any case, it must not be forgotten - the Document says- that migration is usually an “opportunity” for ecumenism, and an “opportunity” for pastoral of human mobility. It is the responsibility of Churches and ecclesial Communities followers of the “Migrant” Christ to see that these opportunities are taken.” The assembly also discussed the proposal to have a Day for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees and how to implement the new Instruction “Erga Migrantes Caritas Christi”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 28/5/2004; Righe Parole )
