Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Manila (Agenzia Fides) - Migration is a theological “place” in which to discover the Church’s itinerant and missionary dimension and promote inter-personal relations inspired by the model of the Trinity and hence “communion in diversity”. This emerged at an international meeting on the theme “Faith in movement: towards a theology of migration in Asia”. The event, the fourth of its kind, and held in Manila 14 and 15 July was organised by the Scalabrini Missionaries in cooperation with local institutions and with the support Missio-Aachen, one of three Pontifical Mission Societies branches in Germany.
Over 250 people listened to conferences and took part in discussion groups. Participants included professors in theology, theology students from various colleges in Manila, men and women religious of different congregations involved in pastoral care of migrants, local clergy, lay missionaries and pastoral workers, a delegation from the Philippines’ government and a delegation from Korea.
In a message Bishop Precioso Cantillas, head of the Philippines Bishops’ commission for pastoral care of migrants and itinerant peoples urged the participants “read the signs of the times with the eyes of faith and consider migration in the plan and mind of God”.
On day-one interventions by Divine Word Missionary Fr Philip Muncada and Jesuit Fr. Louis Aldrich presented study-cases to show that protection and promotion of rights for migrants is still, particularly in the Asian context, an ideal very distant from reality. This is why Agnes Brazal inserted reflection on migration with regard to human rights, ‘cultural rights’ especially. For his part OMI Father Giovanni Zevola, recalled the Biblical migration experience of Israel, a people which understood that its identity was revealed through encounter with others.
Mgr Antonio Tagle said “Christ had no home, he was always a guest never a host, even his tomb was not his own, he is the eternal migrant”; Emmanuel De Guzmna concluded the third session saying “in the Church differences are authentic riches and migration is a space for celebrating diversity ”.
On day-two Fr. William Larouss, presented migration from a missiological point of view: in migration the Church is called to show “her sharing in the mission of the Trinity to call humanity into one family in diversity”. In the final session Anthony Rogers of the Brothers of Christian Schools, said globalisation dehumanises relationships and in this sense “active involvement in migration is a constructive dimension of the Church’s evangelising mission in post-modern world”. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 17/7/2006 righe 35 parole 352)
