Office for Social Ministry “Many migrants, refugees and displaced persons are privileged witnesses of hope. Indeed, they demonstrate this daily through their resilience and trust in God, as they face adversity while seeking a future in which they glimpse that integral human development and happiness are possible.” (Pope Leo XIV, Jubilee Year message for the […]
‘They are faces, not numbers’: A legacy of justice and mercy for migrants
By Junno Arocho Esteves OSV News ROME — Not long after Pope Francis’ election in 2013, media pundits and faithful wondered and speculated what countries he would visit as pope. Naturally, many assumed the newly elected pontiff would make Brazil his first official visit given that World Youth Day, a global event that has always […]
Talk story: Church’s solidarity with migrants remains strong
Office for Social Ministry “Migrations, more than ever before, will play a pivotal role in the future of our world. At present, however, migration is affected by the ‘loss of that sense of responsibility for our brothers and sisters on which every civil society is based.’” (Pope Francis, “Fratelli tutti (On fraternity and social friendship)”) […]
Talk story: Migrants deserve prayers and protection
Office for Social Ministry “Gratitude, the ability to give thanks, helps us appreciate the presence in our lives of the God who is love and to recognize the importance of others, overcoming the dissatisfaction and indifference that disfigure our hearts.” (Pope Francis, in his Oct. 9, 2022, homily during the canonization of missionary St. Giovanni […]
Talk story: Pope urges us to walk with and support migrants
Office for Social Ministry “Open our eyes and our hearts so that every encounter with those in need becomes an encounter with Jesus, your son and our Lord.” (Pope Francis, 2024 World Day of Migrants and Refugees, Sept. 29) One focus in the 2024 U.S. election is immigration’s impact not only on border states but […]
Pope Francis condemns rejection of migrants
By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — Working to turn migrants away from the prospect of peace and security in a new country is “a grave sin,” Pope Francis said. “It needs to be said clearly: There are those who systematically work by all means to drive away migrants, and this, when done […]
Talk story: Delivering a message of Easter hope amid suffering
OFFICE FOR SOCIAL MINISTRY “May the Risen One make the light of his face shine upon migrants and on all those who are passing through a period of economic difficulty and offer them consolation and hope in their moment of need.” (Pope Francis’ Easter message, March 31 Pope Francis’ Easter morning message of prayer […]
Education is key to protecting migrants, religious leaders say
By Kurt Jensen OSV News WASHINGTON — Ask women religious leaders on the front lines of the fight against human trafficking and the exploitation of cheap migrant labor, and you hear less about government programs and more about educating the migrants. “It can happen to anyone anywhere,” Maryknoll Sister Abby Avelino said at a March […]
Pope welcomes migrant he’s been praying for since July
By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — When Mbengue Nyimbilo Crepin told Pope Francis of his harrowing journey to Italy and about the deaths of his wife and 6-year-old daughter in the desert along the border between Libya and Tunisia, the pope told him he had been praying for them since July. Nyimbilo, […]
Religious help U.S-bound migrants stranded near the Darien Gap
By Manuel Rueda OSV News CAPURGANA, Colombia — Jairo Hurtado entered the Darién jungle with all of his belongings stuffed into a backpack. He wore rubber boots to keep his feet dry on the muddy trails, and carried a machete to slash through the dense vegetation and “protect” himself from criminals who sometimes assault migrants […]