OFFICE FOR SOCIAL MINISTRY
“You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:34)
On Aug. 15, the Feast of the Assumption, Pope Francis wrote in his special message for the 104th World Day of Migrants and Refugees: “Every stranger who knocks at our door is an opportunity for an encounter with Jesus Christ.”
Providentially, this message was officially released a few days later on Aug. 21, the day of a total solar eclipse, when two heavenly bodies — Brother Sun and Sister Moon — came together for one spectacular moment that made visible the corona of the sun. Some believe this rare phenomenon was a sign of God’s never-ending presence in our lives and a reminder to carefully look at what is visible and invisible to the human eye.
Pope Francis’ message focuses on persons living in the shadow of fear, persecution, poverty, war and violence. Today, millions of refugees and migrants are being forced to leave their homes and escape to foreign countries. Pope Francis believes this unparalleled crisis of humanity on the move is literally a “sign of the times” and calls us to welcome all these strangers as brothers and sisters.
In his message, the pope said it is the church’s responsibility to come together in solidarity to help our brothers and sisters at every stage of their migratory experience — from departure through journey to arrival and return.
“This is a great responsibility,” he says, “which the church intends to share with all believers and men and women of good will, who are called to respond to the many challenges of contemporary migration with generosity, promptness, wisdom and foresight, each according to their own abilities.”
Pope Francis urges us all to respond to migrants and refugees in our communities in four ways: to welcome, to protect, to promote and to integrate. Below, in excerpts from his message, he explains.
“Considering the current situation, welcoming means, above all, offering broader options for migrants and refugees to enter destination countries safely and legally. … The second verb — protecting — may be understood as a series of steps intended to defend the rights and dignity of migrants and refugees, independent of their legal status. … Promoting essentially means a determined effort to ensure that all migrants and refugees — as well as the communities that welcome them — are empowered to achieve their potential as human beings, in all the dimensions that constitute the humanity intended by the Creator. … The final verb — integrating — is a lengthy process that aims to shape societies and cultures, making them more and more a reflection of the multi-faceted gifts of God to human beings.”
“Today, 15 August, we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of Mary. The Holy Mother of God herself experienced the hardship of exile (Matthew 2:13-15), lovingly accompanied her Son’s journey to Calvary, and now shares eternally his glory. To her maternal intercession we entrust the hopes of all the world’s migrants and refugees and the aspirations of the communities which welcome them, so that, responding to the Lord’s supreme commandment, we may all learn to love the other, the stranger, as ourselves.”
For the entire text of Pope Francis’ message for the 104th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, and suggestions for accompanying our brothers and sisters on our shared migrant journey, please go to http://www.officeforsocialministry.org/pope-francis-message-on-migrants-and-refugees/
Mahalo,
Your friends at the Office for Social Ministry
