Intercultural Migrant Ministry

Intercultural Migrant Ministry

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Pastoral Orientations on Intercultural Migrant Ministry

The contemporary migratory scenario, increasingly global and multicultural, offers new opportunities and new challenges that require adequate pastoral responses aimed at a culture of encounter.

The presence of migrants and refugees belonging to different faiths, or non-believers, represents a new missionary opportunity for Christian communities, called to build bridges through witness and charity.

The text, Pastoral Orientations on Intercultural Migrant Ministry, with the preface by Pope Francis, suggest adequate pastoral responses and invite us to expand the way in which to live being Church.

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Best Practice

This attachment presents some best practices undertaken by Catholic organisations and religious congregations in line with the responses identified in Pastoral Orientations on Intercultural Migrant Ministry.

Concrete examples for putting Orientations into practice.

In the Words of the Popes

  • “The Church is a home with open doors, because she is a mother.” And like Mary, the Mother of Jesus, “we want to be a Church that serves, that leaves home and goes forth from its places of worship, goes forth from its sacristies, in order to accompany life, to sustain hope, to be the sign of unity… to build bridges, to break down walls, to sow seeds of reconciliation.”

    – Pope Francis

  • Migrants and refugees can experience, along with difficulties, new, welcoming relationships which enable them to enrich their new countries with their professional skills, their social and cultural heritage and, not infrequently, their witness of faith, which can bring new energy and life to communities of ancient Christian tradition, and invite others to encounter Christ and to come to know the Church.

    – Pope Benedict XVI

  • [Migration] reminds the Church of its condition as a pilgrim people on earth in search of the future city.

    – Pope John Paul II

  • Christ inflames the desires of all people to break through the barriers which divide them, to strengthen the bonds of mutual love, to learn to understand one another, and to pardon those who have done them wrong. Through His power and inspiration may all peoples welcome each other to their hearts as brothers, and may the peace they long for ever flower and ever reign among them.

    – Pope John XXIII

“The Church is a home with open doors, because she is a mother.” And like Mary, the Mother of Jesus, “we want to be a Church that serves, that leaves home and goes forth from its places of worship, goes forth from its sacristies, in order to accompany life, to sustain hope, to be the sign of unity… to build bridges, to break down walls, to sow seeds of reconciliation.”

– Pope Francis

“The Church is a home with open doors, because she is a mother.” And like Mary, the Mother of Jesus, “we want to be a Church that serves, that leaves home and goes forth from its places of worship, goes forth from its sacristies, in order to accompany life, to sustain hope, to be the sign of unity… to build bridges, to break down walls, to sow seeds of reconciliation.”

– Pope Francis

Migrants and refugees can experience, along with difficulties, new, welcoming relationships which enable them to enrich their new countries with their professional skills, their social and cultural heritage and, not infrequently, their witness of faith, which can bring new energy and life to communities of ancient Christian tradition, and invite others to encounter Christ and to come to know the Church.

– Pope Benedict XVI

Migrants and refugees can experience, along with difficulties, new, welcoming relationships which enable them to enrich their new countries with their professional skills, their social and cultural heritage and, not infrequently, their witness of faith, which can bring new energy and life to communities of ancient Christian tradition, and invite others to encounter Christ and to come to know the Church.

– Pope Benedict XVI

[Migration] reminds the Church of its condition as a pilgrim people on earth in search of the future city.

– Pope John Paul II

[Migration] reminds the Church of its condition as a pilgrim people on earth in search of the future city.

– Pope John Paul II

Christ inflames the desires of all people to break through the barriers which divide them, to strengthen the bonds of mutual love, to learn to understand one another, and to pardon those who have done them wrong. Through His power and inspiration may all peoples welcome each other to their hearts as brothers, and may the peace they long for ever flower and ever reign among them.

– Pope John XXIII

Christ inflames the desires of all people to break through the barriers which divide them, to strengthen the bonds of mutual love, to learn to understand one another, and to pardon those who have done them wrong. Through His power and inspiration may all peoples welcome each other to their hearts as brothers, and may the peace they long for ever flower and ever reign among them.

– Pope John XXIII

Towards an Ever Wider We

In light of the theme chosen for the 107th World Day of Migrants and Refugees – “Towards an ever wider we” – the Pastoral Orientations on Intercultural Migrant Ministry aim to deepen the need to reconstitute ourselves in a single ever wider and more welcoming us that meets all those who live in conditions of strangeness, abandoning the distinction between “us” and “others” to feel part of the one people of God (cf. Gen 11: 1).

Get Informed

Here are some helpful resources to help you understand the Church’s response to Intercultural Migrants.