In Memoriam: Pope Francis
Since the early days of his Pontificate, when Pope Francis made his first trip outside of Rome to Lampedusa, he made the issue of migration a central theme that emerged repeatedly in his writings and speeches. In his homily at Lampedusa, the Pope reflected on the story of Cain and Abel, asking of us the question, “Where is your brother?” Too often we cast sidelong glances at those who are marginalized and declare their dire situation not our responsibility. Too many of us remain happily ensconced in our creaturely comforts, ignoring the cries of the poor, and directly contributing to the “globalization of indifference.”
In February of this year, Pope Francis sent a letter to the bishops of the United States where he complimented the Church for its work on behalf of migrants. During his last public address, which occurred on Easter, Pope Francis again touched on the issue of migration when he lamented “how much contempt is stirred up at times towards the vulnerable, the marginalized, and migrants! On this day, I would like all of us to hope anew and to revive our trust in others, including those who are different than ourselves, or who come from distant lands, bringing unfamiliar customs, ways of life and ideas! For all of us are children of God!
As we look back on his remarkable Pontificate, it is worth reflecting on how he understood migration and his call for us to be provide care and welcome to migrants who live among us. Below is a sampling of resources that you can use to better understand Pope Francis’ convictions related to this topic, which should inform your own understanding on this issue.
World Day of Migrants and Refugees
The World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR), which typically takes place the last Sunday in September provides an ideal opportunity for the Church to reflect on migration. As in times past, every year Pope Francis issued a theme related to migration and issued a statement that further fleshed out the specific theme in question. For 2025, Pope Francis had chosen the theme “Migrants, Missionaries of Hope”.
Although each year provides unique insights into Pope Francis’ thinking, and all are worth a closer read, one particularly compelling migration day message focused on how four verbs should inform our engagement with migrants: to welcome, to protect, to promote, and to integrate. Unpacking these verbs in concrete ways regarding their application to real life situations provides a guide to how we should live and act in response to the needs of migrants and the communities in which they arrive. You can read the rest of the migration day messages at the Vatican website.
Each of the encyclicals produced by Pope Francis highlight insights applicable to migration. For example, in Fratelli Tutti, the third encyclical of his pontificate, Pope Francis invites the Church to live out the call to universal fraternity and social friendship. Here he offers “a way of life marked by the flavor of the Gospel” (no. 1) and shares a vision for humanity that Pope Francis has emphasized throughout his papacy: “It is my desire that, in this our time, by acknowledging the dignity of each human person, we can contribute to the rebirth of a universal aspiration to fraternity. Brotherhood between all men and women” (no. 8). In addition to (re)reading the encyclical, please use the resources below to help you better understand what the encyclical says about the migration issue.
Further Reading
Fratelli Tutti_Migration Excerpts: This document provides a collection of sections found in Fratelli Tutti that are pertinent to migration. While helpful as a stand alone resource for a quick reference point, we encourage you to read the entire encyclical for greater context.
Discussion Guide_Fratelli tutti_Final: We invite you to form a Fratelli Tutti discussion guide with friends, family, and fellow Catholics. This guide will provide step by step instructions how you can do just that!
The Long View
Since 1914, the Church has invited us to celebrate the World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR), which provides an opportunity for Catholics to reflect on the situation confronting migrant populations, both internationally and domestically. This study guide (Espanol) will provide an opportunity to consider several key themes that have consistently emerged in migration day messages during the pontificates of Pope Saint John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis, and emphasize the significant continuity across papacies on the issue of migration. The themes covered in this study guide include reflections on family, accompaniment, evangelization, and “solidarity and shared responsibility”. We suggest that discussion groups address one theme per session. Given the importance of the migration question to the Church, these study sessions can be conducted at any point during the year for small groups who are interested in learning more about this topic and how the Church approaches it.
For a collection of The World Day of Migrants and Refugees messages from 1996 to the present, please see this helpful resource from the Catholic Legal Immigration Network.