Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Mechelen (Fides Service) - The CCEE Commission for Migration and the European National Directors for the Pastoral Care of Migrants held their annual meeting at the diocesan pastoral centre in Mechelen (Malines), Belgium, from 17th to 19th September, 2004. Those present represented the Holy See, 24 Bishops’ Conferences (Austria, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, England and Wales, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, the Nordic Countries, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine), ComECE, Caritas, the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) and the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME). The theme of the meeting was the consequences of the enlargement of the European Union for the Church’s pastoral care for migrants in Europe.
Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, presented the Council’s recent document on the Catholic Church’s pastoral care for migrants, Erga Migrantes Caritas Christi, which was then discussed by participants in two language-groups. Dr. Hendrik Lesaar of ComECE and Mariette Grange of ICMC analysed the harmonisation of the policy of the European Union on asylum and refugees, and Martina Liebsch of Caritas and Doris Peschke of CCME spoke of its effects on migration. Here it emerged clearly just how closely the Church can and does co-operate with civil society. The many issues raised in these contributions led to a discussion on issues of concern ranging from the idea of building “holding” or “detention” centres at the edges of Europe to the scope of migrations policy (whom does it cover?) and how “security” is often allowed to be a dominant issue in deciding immigration policies, as well as the idea that the Church might be in a position to offer governments useful ideas on quality procedures to be observed with regard to asylum seekers and immigrants in general.
Father Beniamino Rossi, regional superior of the Scalabrini Fathers, offered a theological reflection on the issue of European Union migrations policy and its consequences, and provided three questions to guide the discussion that followed in language-groups: 1) The local Church is called to be Catholic or “universal” in the sense of being inclusive, but also to hold together the various cultural groups that make up the local Church. Which pastoral models work well? 2)The presence of more and more people from Eastern (mainly Orthodox) Churches calls the local Church to discover forms of “ecumenical dialogue” that correspond to Pope John Paul II’s long-standing hope that the European Church will again breathe fully with two lungs. What can and do Eastern Christian communities contribute? 3) Islam’s massive presence (and a probable future influx of Hindus and Buddhists) is a challenge to engage in more extensive inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue. What can we share of our faith with other religions and cultures? The context for Father Rossi’s thoughts was clearly what he described as a cultural situation that is as new and unfamiliar to us as was the situation faced by Jesus and Saint Paul at the beginning of the life of the Church. The participants approved a concluding statement, made in the form of recommendations to be offered to the Bishops of Europe.(S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 22/9/2004; Righe 34; Parole 453)
