World migration is an international complex phenomenon. Not even tiny Malta is spared from sharing the burden of the problem. In voicing the national concern of the locals, mainly that “Malta is exposed to and faces the burden of illegal immigration which is stretching our financial and human resources”, President George Abela assured Pope Benedict XVI that we Maltese “should … never shrink back from our traditional values of solidarity and hospitality towards these migrants during their stay in Malta in full respect of their rights and human dignity”. Since the Catholic faith is the dominant spiritual force which animates the Maltese anima, it is worthwhile to see how the Catholic Church can help us Maltese to have a wider understanding and possibly a fresh way of handling the migration issue.
In itself, migration brings about poverty, suffering and discomfort. This explains why action is required in order to promptly respond to the various and continual emergencies. Furthermore, if one sees people on the move as resource and investment, one must help them adjust to and accept the new social and cultural ambience of the hosting nation, as this will help them reach their full integration and potential.
The Church is deeply committed to meet and carry out both challenges. In reality, she concretises her pastoral solicitude to the migrating population by collaborating with governmental institutions or volunteers in both national and international fora, which provide their resources and expertise to help the people on the move. The Church does her very utmost to build a relationship of agreement with all these entities, since she is well aware that nowadays human mobility demands their attention and cooperation, by being in dialogue and putting into practice the always relevant principles of solidarity and subsidiarity.
The Church strongly urges international mechanisms that protect the sacred rights of migrating people. In 2006, the Holy Father, alluding to the Convention of the protection of rights of all migrant workers and their families, which came into effect on 1 July 2003, draws attention to the fact that “the Church encourages the ratification of the international legal instruments that aim to defend the rights of migrants, refugees and their families and, through its various institutions and associations, offers its advocacy that is becoming more and more necessary”. Similarly, in his message for the 2007 “World Day of Migrant and Refugee: People on the Move XXXVIII”, Pope Benedict XVI also stressed that “it is important to protect migrants and their families with the help of legislative, juridical and administrative measures and the support of system of services, centres of attention and structure for social and pastoral assistance”.
The backbone for such a down-to-earth response by the Church is the adoption of the indispensable principles of solidarity and subsidiarity, which underpin the Church’s Social Doctrine. These two pre-eminent criteria pilot any relationship agreement and common goals for all the social, cultural, educational, institutional and ecclesial entities that assess and foster models of integration and cohesion of all citizens, regardless of their juridical status. In his message for the 1998 “World Day of Migrant and Refugee: People on the Move XXVIII”, Pope John Paul II stated, “The Church invites all people of goodwill to make their own contribution so that every person is respected and discriminations that debase human dignity are banned. Her action, sustained by prayer, is inspired by the Gospel and guided by her age-old experience. The Ecclesial Community’s activity is also an incentive to the leaders of peoples and international communities, institutions and organisations of various kinds involved in the phenomenon of migration. An expert in humanity, the Church fulfils her task by enlightening consciences with her teaching and witness, and by encouraging appropriate initiatives to ensure that immigrants find the right place within individual societies”.
On the occasion of the celebration of the first forum of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) of Catholic inspiration, convened in Rome between 30 November and 2 December 2007, the German Pontiff valued highly their special work by saying that “taking part in this important meeting are representatives of groups long associated with the presence and activity of the Catholic laity at international level, along with members of other, more recent groups which have come into being as part of the current process of global integration. Also present are groups mainly committed to advocacy, and others chiefly concerned with the concrete management of cooperative projects promoting development. Some of your organisations are recognised by the Church as public and private associations of the lay faithful, others share in the charisma of certain institutes of consecrated life, while still others enjoy only civil recognition and include non-Catholics and non-Christians among their members. All of you, however, have in common a passion for promoting human dignity”.
In order to underscore the relevance of cooperation, Pope Benedict concluded his discourse by saying that ‘what is needed, in fact, is a spirit of solidarity conducive for promoting as a body those ethical principles which, by their very nature and their role as the basis of social life, remain non-negotiable. A spirit of solidarity imbued with a strong sense of fraternal love leads to a better appreciation of the initiatives of others and a deeper desire to cooperate with them. Thanks to this spirit, one will always, whenever it is useful or necessary, work in collaboration either with the various non-governmental organisations or the representatives of the Holy See, with due respect for their differences of nature, institutional ends and methods of operation. [...] When experienced in solidarity, legitimate pluralism and diversity will lead not to division and competition, but to ever greater effectiveness”.
The constant demographic, economic, cultural and national security challenges that world migration poses for every country under the sun, including our own, should never deter our society from including its ethnic minorities. The Church’s two-millennia-old insightful wisdom is undisputedly welcomed and badly needed.