10/25/2011
Refugees
Wth this message, Benedict XVI referred to the challenge that lies ahead for the new evangelisation: warmth and meetings between people
Alessandro Speciale
vatican city
Faced with a world that is becoming less and less homogenous and increasingly complex as a result of migration, the Church is called to “review its methods, its ways of expression and its language,” taking into account this new reality.
This is a challenge which Antonio Maria Vegliò, President of the Pontifical Council of Pastoral Care for Migrants and Itinerants, is acutely aware of. The Archbishop presented the Pope’s message today, ahead of the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, which will be celebrated on 15 January 2012.
“It is obvious – Mgr. Vegliò explained – that the mix of nationalities and religions is growing exponentially. In Countries with Ancient Christian history, we can see the penetration of secularisation and increasing insensitivity to the Christian faith, whilst in other Countries with non Christian majorities, there is an emerging influx of Christianity.”
At the same time, all Countries are “teeming with new sectarian movements,” some of which aim to “eliminate Christianity’s social and symbolic visibility,” as if God and the Church did not exist.”
It is not just the developed Western Countries that are faced with the challenge of migration. According to the International Organisation for Migration’s (IOM) World Migration Report 2010, in recent years, the United States have been the Country with the greatest influx of migrants, followed by Russia, then Germany, then Saudi Arabia.
Most importantly, it is mainly developing Countries that become responsible for refugees and asylum seekers. This is according to the Secretary of the Pontifical Council, Mgr. Joseph Kalathiparambil.
The report by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees stated that “4/5 of the world’s refugees are taken in by developing Countries, in both absolute terms and in proportion to their economic systems.” Pakistan is the Country with the greatest number of refugees (1.900.000), followed by Iran (1.000.000) and Syria (1 million).
Mgr Kalathiparambil went also said “this is happening at a time characterised by growing hostility towards refugees in a number of industrialised Countries.”
Then there is another category of migrants whom the Pope focused on in his message: students studying abroad. These “exceed three million and their number is expected to rise to 7 million by 2025,” the Under Secretary to the Pontifical Council, Fr. Gabriele F. Bentoglio said.
“Over 50% of the total influx of international students registered in 2008 came from about twenty different Countries, with most coming from China, Poland, India and Mexico,” he added.
Between 30 November and 3 December, the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants, promoted the “Third World Congress for the Pastoral Care of Foreign Students” in Rome.
There will be 123 delegates (24 Bishops, 38 priests, 9 clerics, 26 lay pastoral assistants and 26 university students), from Europe (42 delegates from 14 Countries), from Africa (28 from 9 Countries), from America (20 from 7 Countries), from Asia (14 from 5 Countries) and 3 from Australia, as well as some representatives from religious Institutes, lay associations and international and regional organisations.
This special attention to “migrant” students - Fr. Bentoglio explained – comes as a result of THE Pope’s request for young university students to meet “genuine Gospel witnesses and example figures of Christian life,” who could encourage them to “play active roles in the new evangelisation.”
Faced with a world that is becoming less and less homogenous and increasingly complex as a result of migration, the Church is called to “review its methods, its ways of expression and its language,” taking into account this new reality.
This is a challenge which Antonio Maria Vegliò, President of the Pontifical Council of Pastoral Care for Migrants and Itinerants, is acutely aware of. The Archbishop presented the Pope’s message today, ahead of the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, which will be celebrated on 15 January 2012.
“It is obvious – Mgr. Vegliò explained – that the mix of nationalities and religions is growing exponentially. In Countries with Ancient Christian history, we can see the penetration of secularisation and increasing insensitivity to the Christian faith, whilst in other Countries with non Christian majorities, there is an emerging influx of Christianity.”
At the same time, all Countries are “teeming with new sectarian movements,” some of which aim to “eliminate Christianity’s social and symbolic visibility,” as if God and the Church did not exist.”
It is not just the developed Western Countries that are faced with the challenge of migration. According to the International Organisation for Migration’s (IOM) World Migration Report 2010, in recent years, the United States have been the Country with the greatest influx of migrants, followed by Russia, then Germany, then Saudi Arabia.
Most importantly, it is mainly developing Countries that become responsible for refugees and asylum seekers. This is according to the Secretary of the Pontifical Council, Mgr. Joseph Kalathiparambil.
The report by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees stated that “4/5 of the world’s refugees are taken in by developing Countries, in both absolute terms and in proportion to their economic systems.” Pakistan is the Country with the greatest number of refugees (1.900.000), followed by Iran (1.000.000) and Syria (1 million).
Mgr Kalathiparambil went also said “this is happening at a time characterised by growing hostility towards refugees in a number of industrialised Countries.”
Then there is another category of migrants whom the Pope focused on in his message: students studying abroad. These “exceed three million and their number is expected to rise to 7 million by 2025,” the Under Secretary to the Pontifical Council, Fr. Gabriele F. Bentoglio said.
“Over 50% of the total influx of international students registered in 2008 came from about twenty different Countries, with most coming from China, Poland, India and Mexico,” he added.
Between 30 November and 3 December, the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants, promoted the “Third World Congress for the Pastoral Care of Foreign Students” in Rome.
There will be 123 delegates (24 Bishops, 38 priests, 9 clerics, 26 lay pastoral assistants and 26 university students), from Europe (42 delegates from 14 Countries), from Africa (28 from 9 Countries), from America (20 from 7 Countries), from Asia (14 from 5 Countries) and 3 from Australia, as well as some representatives from religious Institutes, lay associations and international and regional organisations.
This special attention to “migrant” students - Fr. Bentoglio explained – comes as a result of THE Pope’s request for young university students to meet “genuine Gospel witnesses and example figures of Christian life,” who could encourage them to “play active roles in the new evangelisation.”
No comments:
Post a Comment