Pope Francis has made an impassioned plea for a global and comprehensive response to the worldwide refugee crisis calling on humanity to “welcome, protect, promote and integrate” the planet’s most vulnerable people.

In his address last month to participants in the International Forum on Migration and Peace, held in Rome, the Pope spoke of the “responsibility, the duty we have towards our brothers and sisters who, for various reasons, have been forced to leave their homeland”.

“Migration, in its various forms, is not a new phenomenon in humanity’s history,” Pope Francis said.

“It has left its mark on every age, encouraging encounters between peoples and the birth of new civilizations,” he said.

“In its essence, to migrate is the expression of that inherent desire for the happiness proper to every human being, a happiness that is to be sought and pursued.

“For us Christians, all human life is an itinerant journey towards our heavenly homeland,” Pope Francis said.

He said the beginning of this third millennium was characterized by migratory movement which, in terms of origin, transit and destination, involved nearly every part of the world.

“Unfortunately, in the majority of cases this movement is forced, caused by conflict, natural disasters, persecution, climate change, violence, extreme poverty and inhumane living conditions,” Pope Francis said.

He said humanity had a “duty of justice”.

“We can no longer sustain unacceptable economic inequality, which prevents us from applying the principle of the universal destination of the earth’s goods,” the Pope said.

He said a “duty of civility” amounted to a commitment to migrants, exiles and refugees to apply the principles and values of welcome and fraternity.

“These constitute a common patrimony of humanity and wisdom which we draw from,” Pope Francis said.

“Such principles and values have been historically codified in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and in numerous conventions and international agreements.

“Every migrant is a human person who, as such, possesses fundamental, inalienable rights that must be respected by everyone and in every circumstance,” he said.

The Pope also spoke of a “duty of solidarity”.

“In the face of tragedies which take the lives of so many migrants and refugees – conflicts, persecutions, forms of abuse, violence, death – expressions of empathy and compassion cannot help but spontaneously well-up,” he said.

“Solidarity is born precisely from the capacity to understand the needs of our brothers and sisters who are in difficulty and to take responsibility for these needs. Upon this, in short, is based the sacred value of hospitality, present in religious tradition.

“The duty of solidarity is to counter the throwaway culture and give greater attention to those who are weakest, poorest and most vulnerable.

“Thus a change of attitude towards migrants and refugees is needed on the part of everyone, moving away from attitudes of defensiveness and fear, indifference and marginalization – all typical of a throwaway culture – towards attitudes based on a culture of encounter; the only culture capable of building a better, more just and fraternal world,” he said.

The Pope alluded to the vast numbers of children and young people who have be forced to flee their homes.

“Allow me to draw attention again to a particularly vulnerable group of migrants, exiles and refugees whom we are called to welcome, to protect, to promote and to integrate,” he said.

“I am speaking of the children and young people who are forced to live far from their homeland and who are separated from their loved ones.

“I dedicated my most recent Message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees to them, highlighting how we need to work towards protection, integration and long-term solutions,” Pope Francis said.

Laurie Nowell
AMES Australia Senior Journalist