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INTENTION : |
That Christians, and other religious minorities in Asian countries, may be able to practise their faith in full freedom.
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Holy Father's message for the celebration of the 2018 World Day of Peace entitled Migrants and Refugees: Men and Women in search of Peace.
Pope Francis message for the celebration of the 2018 World Day of Peace offers heartfelt good wishes for peace and invites all people of good will to embrace those fleeing war, hunger and persecution.
The message also poses the question, why are there so many migrants and refugees? Pope Francis answers this question by considering the many conflicts that force the people to leave their homelands, but he notes also the desire for a better life.
The Holy Father notes that some people consider the growth in migration as a threat. But, "for my part," he says, "I ask you to view it with confidence, as an opportunity to build peace."
Four mileposts for action
Offering asylum seekers, refugees, migrants and victims of human trafficking an opportunity to find the peace that they seek. This requires a strategy that combines four actions: welcoming, protecting, promoting and integrating. (Message for the 2018 World Day of Migrants and and Refugees).
"Welcoming" calls for expanding legal pathways for entry and no longer pushing migrants and displaced people towards countries where they face persecution and violence. There is a demand to balance our concerns about national security with concern for fundamental human rights. Scripture reminds us: "Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it." (Heb. 13:2.)
"Protecting" has to do with our duty to recognize and defend the inviolable dignity of those who flee real dangers in search of asylum and security, and to prevent their being exploited. I think in particular of women and children who find themselves in situations that expose them to risks and abuses that can even amount to enslavement. God does not discriminate: "The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the orphan and the widow." (Ps. 146:9.)
"Promoting" entails supporting the integral human development of migrants and refugees. Among many possible means of doing so, I would stress the importance of ensuring access to all levels of education for children and young people. This will enable them not only to cultivate and realize their potential, but also better equip them to encounter others and to foster a spirit of dialogue rather than rejection or confrontation. The Bible teaches that God "loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt." (Deut. 10:18-19.)
"Integrating", lastly, means allowing refugees and migrants to participate fully in the life of the society that welcomes them, as part of a process of mutual enrichment and fruitful cooperation in service of the integral human development of the local community. Saint Paul expresses it in these words: "You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people." (Eph. 2:19.)
For our common home
Let us draw inspiration from the words of Saint John Paul II: "If the 'dream' of a peaceful world is shared by all, if the refugees' and migrants' contribution is properly evaluated, then humanity can become more and more a universal family and our earth a true 'common home'." (Message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, 2004,6.) Throughout history, many have believed in this "dream", and their achievements are a testament to the fact that it is no mere utopia.
Among these, we remember Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini in this year that marks the hundredth anniversary of her death. On this thirteenth day of November, many ecclesial communities celebrate her memory. This remarkable woman, who devoted her life to the service of migrants and became their patron saint, taught us to welcome, protect, promote and integrate our brothers and sisters. Through her intercession, may the Lord enable all of us to experience that "a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." (James 3:18.)
POPE FRANCIS
The Vatican, 13 November 2017
Memorial of St Frances Xavier Cabrini, Patroness of Migrants
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