Vatican City – Millions of people forced to leave their homes due to conflict, poverty and climate change. In this complex global scenario, theology plays a crucial role in the study of migration, offering a lens through which to examine the moral, ethical and spiritual dimensions of these movements.
This was highlighted at the international conference “Migration, a pilgrimage of hope” held at the Pontifical Urbaniana University, which organized the event together with the Scalabrini International Migration Institute and the University of Notre Dame, among other institutions.
The event brought together scholars, theologians, religious leaders, representatives of NGOs, faith-based organizations as well as representatives of migrant and refugee communities from around the world. The aim of the gathering was to explore the intersections between migration and theology, providing a space for reflection and dialogue as well as concrete pastoral actions on crucial issues of the phenomenon such as welcoming, protecting, promoting and integrating.
The various speakers who participated during the two days of work emphasized that theology can offer meaningful answers, promoting the principles of welcome, solidarity, and human dignity. They emphasized that, through interfaith dialogue and deepening Christian doctrine, bridges of understanding and support can be built for migrants and refugees, helping to create more just and inclusive societies.
“The Church is called not only to react, but to be present in a prophetic way, offering places of welcome, human promotion, paths of integration, and words of hope,” stated Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches, and Grand Chancellor of the Pontifical Urbaniana University, at the opening of the conference.
“Migration is not only a challenge, but an extraordinary opportunity to renew the Church’s missionary enthusiasm and live more authentically the Gospel of encounter. Generally,” the Cardinal added, “we think of mission as going to places different from ours, and rightly so. But through migrants, different parts of the world enter each other, providing new spaces and understandings of mission.”
Cardinal Fabio Baggio, Undersecretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Human Integral Development, concluded the first two days of meetings. Today, October 23, the group is scheduled to visit Casa Scalabrini 634, headquarters of the Scalabrinian Agency for Cooperation and Development in Rome, which includes families and refugee youth in semi-autonomy. The visit concludes at Borgo Laudato Sì.
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