Engage
In his 2018 World Day of Migrants and Refugees Message, Pope Francis opens with a quote from Leviticus:
“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)
The commitment to the well-being of foreign and native born alike must occur as an act of solidarity and become manifest at each stage of the migrant’s journey – at the point of departure, in transit, and following their arrival in a destination country. In his 2018 World Day of Migrants and Refugees message, Pope Francis provided a new framework for understanding these efforts and to guide the Church in its work with migrant populations. This framework relies on four verbs: to welcome, to protect, to promote, and to integrate. It challenges Catholics to identify some of the ways in which the Church has and can engage migrant populations throughout their journey.
These four verbs will provide some guidance as to what the Church is doing in this regard and to learn ways that you can more effectively respond to Pope Francis’ call to live in solidarity with and provide support to migrants and others on the margins.