ROME — In preparation for World Refugee Day, Pope Francis declared Wednesday that we are all “obliged” to welcome anyone who knocks on our door.
The pope said World Refugee Day, an annual United Nations commemoration celebrated June 20, should be an occasion “to turn a watchful and fraternal gaze to all those who are forced to flee their homes in search of peace and security.” Said Crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the weekly general audience.
“We are all called to welcome, promote, accompany and integrate all those who knock on our doors,” the Pope asserted.
During his 11-year reign, Pope Francis has maintained that immigration and protecting migrants is a top priority for Christians and should not be considered secondary.
In his 2018 Apostolic Address Recommendation With a Latin title Joy and delight (“Rejoice and be glad”), the Pope argued that Christians have no right to treat the plight of immigrants as a trivial moral issue because Jesus commanded his followers to welcome foreigners.
Pope Francis meets with Mbengue Nyimbiro Crepin, known as Pato, a migrant from Cameroon, during a meeting with a group of migrants at Casa Santa Marta in Vatican City on November 17, 2023. (Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
“When it comes to relativism and the shortcomings of the modern world, we often hear the suggestion that, for example, the situation of immigrants is not that important,” Francis wrote. “Some Catholics consider this a secondary issue compared to ‘serious’ bioethical questions.”
“I can understand such things coming from politicians looking to win votes, but not from Christians whose only right attitude is to stand with our fellow citizens who are risking their lives to give our children a future,” he wrote.
“Can’t we understand that this is what Jesus intended? request “What do we think when he says that by welcoming the stranger, we welcome him?” he asked.
The pope defended his continued support for immigration, saying it is not just his pet issue but a central teaching of the Bible.
“This is not a concept invented by a pope, nor is it a passing fad. Even in today’s world we are called to follow the path of spiritual wisdom proposed by the prophet Isaiah in order to demonstrate what is pleasing to God,” he said.
Citing the Old Testament books of Exodus and Leviticus, Pope Francis said not welcoming strangers goes against God’s will.
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Earlier this month, Pope Francis said modern-day migration has many similarities to the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land.
The biblical story of the Exodus, which describes the Israelites’ journey to the Promised Land, “naturally comes to mind” when thinking about migration today, the Pope wrote. message Towards World Migrants and Refugees Day in 2024.
“The biblical imagery of the Exodus and migration share several parallels,” the Pope continued. “Like the people of Israel in the time of Moses, migrants are often fleeing oppression, abuse, insecurity, discrimination and a lack of opportunities for development.”
“Like the Jews in the desert, the migrants will encounter many obstacles on their way. They will suffer from thirst and hunger, be worn down by work and disease, and be tempted by despair,” he added.
Pope Francis made immigration a central theme in his Christmas blessing on Wednesday, bringing it up three times in his 865-word message. https://t.co/cavyQu5x30
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In this way, he writes, we can see in modern-day immigrants “a living image of God’s people on their way to their eternal homeland.”
In 2019, the Vatican’s Office for Migration and Refugees published a collection of Pope Francis’ teachings on migration issues, reiterating his call for greater openness to migrants.
A 488-page tome, title A Light on the Path of Hope: Pope Francis’ Teachings on Migration, Refugees, and Human Traffickingsummarised the Pope’s speech on immigration, highlighting how central the issue has been to his pontificate.
