Pope Francis Approves 20 Action Points Re: Refugees and Migrants
Migrant Boat, Photo by Matt Brown
The Vatican’s Section on Migrants & Refugees has issued two papers of interest to immprofs — Responding to Refugees and Migrants: Twenty Action Points and Responding to Refugees and Migrants: Twenty Pastoral Action Points. Both have been approved by Pope Francis.
With these action points, the Church calls upon the world to recognize that migration is “a natural human response to crisis and a testament to the innate desire of every human being for happiness and a better life.”
“The Church looks forward to working together with the international community to promote and adopt such measures to protect the dignity, rights and freedoms of all persons currently on the move, including forced migrants, victims of human trafficking, asylum seekers, refugees and internally displaced persons,” the paper continues.
The talking points draw attention to UN Global Compacts as a mechanism for addressing “the largest movement of displaced peoples in recent memory.” And they outline “practical considerations which Catholic and other advocates can use, add to and develop in their dialogue with governments towards the Global Compacts.”
Here are the big picture issues:
- To Welcome: Enhancing Safe and Legal Channels for Migrants and Refugees
- To Protect: Ensuring Migrants’ and Refugees’ Rights and Dignity
- To Promote: Advancing Migrants’ and Refugees’ Integral Human Development
- To Integrate: Enriching Communities through Wider Participation of Migrants and Refugees
-KitJ