Vatican City, Sep 27, 2017 / 12:18 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis on Wednesday announced a new initiative encouraging a “culture of encounter” and efforts to warmly welcome immigrants and refugees.
Sponsored by the global Catholic charities network Caritas Internationalis, the “Share the Journey” initiative is a two-year campaign dedicated to promoting both awareness and action on behalf of migrants and refugees, and helping them build connections with local communities.
“Don’t be afraid of sharing the journey. Don’t be afraid of sharing hope,” Pope Francis said during his weekly General Audience in St. Peter’s Square Sept. 27.
According to Caritas, the project was launched as a response to Pope Francis’ frequent call for a “culture of encounter.”
The project also aims to shed light on both the challenges and effects of migration at every stage of the journey in order to promote a “shift in thinking” on the issue. It will have the support of the ACT Alliance, which is a network of 145 Christian agencies and a variety of other religious congregations and civil society groups worldwide.
As part of the project, Caritas will launch various action-based initiatives in the communities in which they are present throughout the world.
.@CardinalChito w/Caritas Internationalis at Vatican Press Office to launch #ShareJourney initiative. Learn more: https://t.co/GN5af8cdie pic.twitter.com/tPlnI1Hjx1
— Catholic News Agency (@cnalive) September 27, 2017
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila, president of Caritas Internationalis, said he himself is an example of what young migrants can offer if given the opportunity.
“Whenever I hear news about the restrictions or even some moves that might affect children, minors (who are) migrants, I remember my grandfather, my maternal grandfather,” Cardinal Tagle told CNA.
“He was born in China and his mother was widowed, and she in her desperation didn’t know how to raise her child up into a decent life, so I suppose with a heavy heart, she decided to give away the child to an uncle, who was trying to do some trade in the Philippines.”
Cardinal Tagle explained that his grandfather never went back to China, but “thanks to people who received him, helped him, educated him, he was able to contribute to society.”
In addition to his work, “he was able to contribute a priest, a bishop, in my person,” Cardinal Tagle said. “So watch out. The children that we might be rejecting might be giving valuable contributions to society.”
The cardinal’s comments were made in reference to rising tensions surrounding the issue of migration in the U.S., where controversy has arisen over President Donald Trump’s travel ban, proposed border wall, and recent announcement of the phasing out of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA), which has benefited hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants who entered the U.S. as minors.
In a press conference announcing the “Share the Journey” initiative, Cardinal Tagle said world leaders should remember that “we are all migrants. Nobody can claim to be a non-migrant, we are all passing in this world.”
With Cardinal Luis Tagle, pres of @iamCARITAS, for presentation of new “Share the Journey” project 4 #migrants & refugees pic.twitter.com/PNiJXEprfz
— Elise Harris (@eharris_it) September 27, 2017
“Nobody is a permanent resident,” and no one can claim to “own the space they occupy,” he said, voicing his hope that there would be a universal “conversion of mind” on the issue.
Acknowledging the fear that some might feel at having foreigners enter their country, the cardinal said these fears often dissipate when people take the time to sit with immigrants and listen to their stories. “You will see that they are like you and me,” he said.
Recalling how his grandfather came to the Philippines as a “poor boy from China,” he said, “who would have thought he would have a cardinal for a grandson?”
Present alongside Cardinal Tagle at the press conference was Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, along the U.S. border with Mexico, as well as the director of Caritas Ethiopia, Bekele Moges, and three young migrants from Africa.
The migrants were Yancuba Darboe from Gambia, 21; Amadou Darboe from Senegal, 20; and Berete Ibrahima from Guinea, 23. Each of them left their homes due to poverty or a lack of opportunities and endured harsh conditions, including torture at the hands of traffickers, before eventually arriving in Italy and finding a fresh start.
In comments to CNA, Sr. Pimentel stressed the importance of getting to know migrants personally.
Meeting and speaking with migrants face-to-face is “so important,” she said, “because that’s what causes the transformation in us.”
Sr. Pimentel recalled the story of a woman who had come to visit one of the centers operated by Catholic Charities in Rio Grande Valley. The woman was “one hundred percent against” their work, believing that migrants shouldn’t be allowed into the country.
In response, the sister gave the woman a tour, and “took her to visit the families and the children and showed her the reality, and she met them personally.”
When the visit ended, the woman’s whole perspective had changed, and she encouraged Sr. Pimentel to continue the work they were doing. The woman’s husband even called the center later to express his shock at the change in his wife’s attitude toward the issue.
“So I believe if somebody can be transformed so fast because of the fact that they saw that mother, that infant, that child (and) we have it in our hearts to reach out to those we find suffering, we will help that person that needs our help,” she said.
Sr. Pimentel described current immigrant policy in the U.S. as “harsh.”
“All the administrations, even the previous administration, were very harsh in deporting a lot of the immigrants and making those detention centers for family units,” she said, adding that in her view, “it’s so unjust and so unfair for a family with children, with infants, to be placed in detention facilities.”
“Just like the previous administration, this administration is doing the same and probably harsher,” she said, stressing that placing families in such centers is “not humane,” because they are essentially being put “into prisons.”
Whether you call it a detention center or even a “child care center,” Sr. Pimentel said, the reality is that “they really are prisons and it’s very depressing, so children should not be in those conditions.”
Instead, the sister said there should be an alternative available where families are allowed to stay together with someone to help them in the immigration process while authorities “figure out whether they have a reason to be in the United States or not, but not keep them for months in facilities that are so depressing and inhumane.”
Sr. Pimentel voiced hope that the new Caritas campaign would help people to truly understand the plight of migrants and push for “laws in our countries that respect the dignity and human life of people.”
The process of breaking the stigma surrounding incoming migrants starts with individuals and the process of encounter, she reiterated.
“Find that immigrant, just one, find out who they are,” she said. “Find out why they left their country and try to understand that, try to put yourself in their shoes and see if that helps you understand better why an immigrant has to go through what they do and what should be your responsibility and response to that reality.”
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For everyone, life is short and sweet. Unfortunately leaders are taking bold decisions against themselves. Genuine peace adds life to our life span. Long live peace worldwide.
Bergoglio has no lessons to impart to us regarding the pandemic. On the long list of crimes and offenses he has committed against the Church, faithful and the world, this has to rank fairly high. He was an enthusiastic proponent of the terribly useless and destructive and lockdowns and masking mandates. Then he had the audacity to declare receiving the experimental and, likely dangerous, Covid vaccine to be a universal moral obligation. As he has on so many other issues, he fully aligned himself and the prestige of the Catholic Church with the evil globalist political and economic cabal that is attempting to impose a worldwide tyranny. I would say that one lesson that we could draw from era is that Francis is an enemy to be resisted, but that was clear long before “coronavirus” entered the common parlance.
Orthodox Catholics prefer hard-hitting truth like Tony’s to the passive-aggressive nonsense rolling off bifurcated lips and tongues of apostatic men on the payroll of the Church.
Just like VCII, the pandemic happened. Sinful men know nothing of the mind or the will or the love of God. Does Francis condescend to mention Him in the New Year message about war?
Homerun! Knocked it out of the park!
In full agreement Deacon Ed. And not once was the Prince of Peace mentioned.
Agreed, Tony. Bergoglio is all about promoting the “evil globalist political and economic cabal,” as you pit it — i.e., leftism.
Another lesson: the faithful have pitifully few faithful shepherds they can trust.
” experimental and, likely dangerous, Covid vaccine ”
Not to mention that the vaccines were made using cells derived from aborted babies in research and development.
Another excellent point. Thank you.
The fact of the evil ways employed in production does not make the vaccine being EVIL ITSELF. To the challenge that ITS USE implies a cooperation in an evil production one may reply that the cooperation varries in the degree and circumstances, may not be evil in all cases. I would also add that the life itself is the greatest gift of God, and we must not neglect this gift. A failure to protect our helth is the greatest evil we could commit if unreasonably exposing ourselves to infection.
I suppose the one benefit of the whole Covid outbreak was learning how many vaccines, pharmaceuticals, over the counter drugs, food products, etc. have been created, researched, or tested at some point on fetal cell lines.
Sometimes the best you can do is to try to choose those with the least approximate connection to evil because otherwise you may have to avoid pretty much every part of modern medicine.
Sadly, every university medical research lab, including Catholic institutions, makes use of these cell lines. It’s a universal problem and not unique to Covid vaccines.
What I meant to type: “He was an enthusiastic proponent of the useless and terribly destructive lockdowns and masking mandates. “
This is very easily answered.
The response to the pandemic satisfied my curiosity about how the populace of Germany could so easily be hoodwinked into particpating either actively or by their silence in the genocide of 6,000,000 Jews and others. It tellingly illustrates how powerful agents of the government can intimidate individuals into relinquishing the use of their reason and suspend their conscience to commit heinous atrocities.
A very blessed 86th birthday to our beloved Holy Father – the Octave of his birthday is Christmas … 🙂 ? may be related to line of St.Francis and his Christmas connection ..
the message of Peace above – much like that of the Christ Child in
The Womb as narrated in the Christmas Novena of Luisa – telling us his lowly, often ungrateful children that He wants our company ..His immense sufferings in Love for us . Noteworthy that the Pope Emer. Benedict also a devotee of St.Hanibale who promoted the Novena-
https://luisapiccarreta.co/?page_id=13506 –
A theme of catechesis based on above – adoring the unborn Baby Jesus with all , to be thus set free from the wounds that are manifesting ever more vicioulsy , as fear and contempt for life in our times with all related confusions … laws that condone that desperation ..
Read the good news about the millions who came to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe this year .. loving and adoring The Baby too ..may same serve as the antidote for the trials and troubles of our times – as we too often echo – ‘Blessed is The Fruit of thy Womb Jesus’ – consoling and being consoled ..
seems that theme too is hidden in the words of blessing from the Holy Father ..
Blessings !
I too noticed the absence of God in PF’s message. Probably a lesson there somewhere.
2000 years ago, when The Son of God was born in Bethlehem of Judea, Herod was King, and Caiphas was High Priest.
These days seem analogous regarding state and church.
What an apt comparison. And among Herod, Caiphas and Pilate, it was Christ who got caught in the squeeze. And in 2022 it’s still the same. Different players but the same ole game.
Pope Francis has nothing to teach to any Christian. His globalist messages alternate from indifference to the teaching of Christ to outright hostility.