WORLD DAY OF MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES

Today is the 109th World Day of Migrants and Refugees. This year in his message, Pope Francis focuses on the theme, “Free to choose whether to migrate or to stay.” He points out that for a healthy society there should always be “the freedom that should always mark the decision to leave one’s native land.” Migration movements throughout the world continue unabated. The Pope insists that we should always be “ensuring that freedom is a widely shared pastoral concern.” He concluded his reflection by reminding us again that “the migrant is not simply a brother or sister in difficulty, but Christ himself, who knocks at our door.” We are to construct “bridges and not walls, expanding channels for a safe and regular migration.” For his full message please go to the Australian and Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office at https://www.acmro.catholic.org.au/