IFCA supports Sharing the Journey campaign WITH OPEN ARMS FOR MIGRANTS
• June 17-24 Global Week of Action
The International Forum of Catholic Action supports the Caritas Internationalis campaign “Sharing the journey” – launched to promote the culture of encounter between migrants, refugees and the local community – and invites all Catholic Action Associations in the world to get involved in this initiative by intensifying their daily commitment, especially in parishes, in collaboration with the Caritas network.
“Sharing the journey”, the IFCA leaders affirm, means: “Declaring the culture of encounter in concrete ways”. In the coming days, IFCA leaders will be meeting in Rome to elect the international coordinator for the four-year term 2017-2021. The embrace, which Pope Francis continually asks us to give, means that we should give our attention and be near all people and that we should make the right choices which make it possible for everyone to be part of the community wherein he lives, both in ecclesial and civil spheres: in the world of schools, work, health, and information. As lay people we can share in the journey of our brothers and sisters in difficulty”.
It means intensifying the commitment which has always found a generous and diversified response from Catholic Action members and associations all over the world, especially in the countries on the crossing of the migratory routes towards the West.
The Lampedusa Catholic Action, with the support of the Diocesan CA of Agrigento and of the Italian Catholic Action, forms part of the Lampedusa Solidarity Forum which brings together religious and civil bodies involved in the welcoming of migrants and which, besides giving assistance, also tackles the question from the cultural point of view, that is, they do no only distribute the basic essentials but also work to create a network of skills and services which protect the dignity of those who seek an opportunity to live and develop outside their mother country. At the same time, many other CA associations from the Italian Dioceses are on the front-line when it comes to the welcoming and integration of those who reach the peninsula.
The Malta Catholic Action, which is among the founder members of Caritas Malta, had established within its structure an Emigrants’ Commission which by time developed into the Migrants’ and Tourism Secretariat, a reality in its own right. Among other things, this is committed to the welcoming of those who land on the island. The Commission runs Dar l-Emigrant which assists migrants and organises preparatory courses to help migrants settle permanently in the country.At parish level, ZAK parish groups organise fundraising activities to help migrants.
“As Catholic Action, let us get going. Let us answer to the appeal made by His Holiness Pope Francis” the IFCA leaders affirm “and let us give our share so that we may be all the more the sign of a Church which seeks to be open, inclusive and welcoming because Christ himself has asked us to welcome our migrant and refugee brothers and sisters with ‘open arms as we journey together”.
Press Release – Rome, 3 October 2017
For information:
oldsite.catholicactionforum.org
Catholic Action about migrants
http://adulti.azionecattolica.it/incontri-al-confine-uno-sguardo-da-lampedusa
https://oldsite.catholicactionforum.org/mese-pace2016/
http://www.azionecattolicaotranto.it/lampedusa-lemozione-della-normalit%C3%A0
- wps_subtitle:
- WITH OPEN ARMS FOR MIGRANTS
- pl_view_post:
- 975
