Dear brothers and sisters, today we celebrate the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, dedicated to the theme “Child Migrants, the Vulnerable and the Voiceless”. These little brothers and sisters of ours, especially if unaccompanied, are exposed to so many dangers. I tell you there are many! It is necessary to adopt every possible measure to guarantee protection and security to migrant minors, as well as their integration.
I address a special greeting to the representatives of various ethnic communities. Dear friends, I hope you may live peacefully in the places that receive you, respecting their laws and traditions, and at the same time, safeguarding the values of your culture of origin. Encountering different cultures is always an enrichment for all! I thank the Migrants Office of the Diocese of Rome and those who work with migrants to welcome and support them in their difficulties, and I encourage you to carry on in this work, always recalling the example of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Patron Saint of migrants, the centenary of whose death is this year. This courageous Sister dedicated her life to bringing the love of Christ to those who were far from their homelands and families. May her witness help us to take care of our foreign brothers and sisters, in whom Jesus is present, often suffering, rejected and humiliated. How often in the Bible the Lord asks us to welcome migrants and foreigners, reminding us that we too are foreigners! […]
