Hajja Salesjana

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash.com To welcome a migrant is to welcome God himself, Pope Francis says (CNA/EWTN News) - In his message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees Pope Francis recognized the challenges involved with welcoming migrants, but stressed that despite the difficulties they should always be accepted as brothers and sisters. “At the heart of the Gospel of mercy the encounter and acceptance by others are intertwined with the encounter and acceptance of God himself,” the Pope said in his message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees (2016). “Welcoming others means welcoming God in person!” he said, and addressed migrants and refugees directly, telling them not to let themselves “be robbed of the hope and joy of life born of your experience of God’s mercy, as manifested in the people you meet on your journey!” Pope Francis’ message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees was presented to journalists during a news conference in Rome. In his message, the Pope highlighted the various challenges both migrants and refugees face in leaving their homes, as well as difficulties encountered by the countries who receive them. He noted how migration today is growing at a global level, and that the exodus of people fleeing their homes challenges both individuals and communities, and can at times upset the traditional ways of life and the cultural and social horizons of the societies who welcome them. On the other hand, the Pope also noted that migrants are increasingly “the victims of violence and poverty (who) are exploited by human traffickers during their journey towards the dream of a better future.” Even if they survive the journey, migrants and refugees are often faced with “latent suspicions and fear,” as well as a lack of clear and practical policies that provide sort or long term programs aimed at societal integration with respect for everyone’s rights, he observed. Francis said migrants and refugees are above all brothers and sisters in search of a better life, far away from hunger, violence, poverty and an unjust distribution of the earth’s resources, and ought to be viewed as such. Migration has become a structural reality, he said, explaining that our primary concern to the crisis ought to be providing programs that address the root causes of migration, and the changes it entails. “The tragic stories of millions of men and women daily confront the international community as a result of the outbreak of unacceptable humanitarian crises in different parts of the world,” he said. “Indifference and silence lead to complicity whenever we stand by as people are dying of suffocation, starvation, violence and shipwreck,” he said, adding that whether they happen on a large or small scale, “these are always tragedies, even when a single human life is lost.” Photo by Ravi Sharma - Unsplash.com by Elise Harris 32 April-Ġunju 2023 hajja