AMERICA/MEXICO - The local Church is committed to finding new ways of assisting emigrants with responses of charity and evangelisation: 3rd national congress on “Migration, Multicultural societies and Pastoral of Culture, Conclusions

Mexico City (Fides Service) - The Catholic Bishops of Mexico have stressed the need to create more awareness among political, social and church workers in view of a better and fairer response to the phenomenon of migrations. This emerged at the end of the 3rd national congress on “Migration, Multicultural societies and Pastoral of Culture” held 24 to 26 January and affirmed in the Congress Conclusions made public by the Bishops’ Commission for Pastoral of Culture.
In the conclusions the Bishops confirm their concern and support for Mexicans who emigrate in search of a better life. They underline that “that immigrants... are not to be regarded as delinquents or criminals, despite their irregular situation, they deserve to be treated with dignity and justice”. The phenomenon is a drama and a problem which concerns not only the country of origin but also the country of arrival and the solution is not found in stricter control, the Bishops say, expressing firm objection to “persecutory proposals such as building a wall to stop people from crossing the border: this would not stem the flow but only make it all the more painful and unjust”.
The Bishops stress the need “for cooperation agreements between the involved nations” and to “create better conditions for development in countries of origin, and our own country, so that Mexicans are not forced to emigrate because of lack of jobs and insufficient economic resources”. The Church for its part- the Bishops conclude - “is called to make every effort to find new ways of offering better assistance to emigrants... with responses of charity and evangelisation”. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 28/1/2006 - righe 19, parole 266)