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THEMIGRANTPOPE
July613,2015Issue[1]

J.KevinAppleby[2]
HowPopeFrancisfocusesworldattentiononmodernsojourners
AhallmarkofPopeFrancispapacy
hasbeenhisabilitytofocusthe
attentionofthechurchandthe
worldonhumanbeingswholiveon
themarginsofsociety.Innoarea
hasheaccomplishedthismore
profoundlyandeffectivelythanin
defendingtherightsofpersonson
themoveimmigrants,refugeesand
victimsoftraffickingwhostruggle
tosurviveontheouteredgesofthe
globalcommunity.
PORTOFCALL.PopeFrancisgreetsimmigrantsin

InhisfirsttripoutsideofRome,for
Lampedusa,Italy,July8,2013.
example,thepopedidnotlandin
somegloriousEuropeancapitalin
ordertomakeagrandentranceontheworldstage.Heinsteadvisitedasmall,rockyItalian
outcropabout70milesoffthecoastofAfricaintheMediterraneanSea.
DuringhistriptoLampedusa,Italy,inJuly2013,thepopecelebratedMassandlaidawreathin
theseatorememberthemanyhundredsofmigrantswhohavediedattemptingtoreachEurope
bysea.Thousandsofmigrants,boththosetryingtoescapefromeconomichardshipandthose
fleeingpersecution,eachyearattempttoreachEuropebyboatLampedusaistheclosest
Europeansoil.(Thecapsizingandsinkingthisspringofseveralvesselsoverloadedwith
migrantsontheMediterraneanclaimedhundredsoflivesanddemonstratedhowperilousthat
passagecanbe.)

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HejoinedhispowerfulactionsthatdaywithwordsthatsentripplesthroughoutEuropean
capitalsandbeyond.Asamoralmatter,hesaid,theworldcannolongerignorethehuman
rightsandhumanlivesofthoseseekingabetterlifeandsafetyinaforeignland.Hedecriedthe
globalizationofindifferencetowardmigrantsandchargedworldleaderswithrespondingto
theirplight.
Inthisworldofglobalization,wehavefallenintoglobalizedindifference.Wehavebecome
usedtothesufferingofothersItdoesnotaffectmeitdoesnotconcernmeitisnoneofmy
business,hesaid.Father...webegyourforgivenessforthosewhobytheirdecisionsonthe
globallevelhavecreatedsituationsthatleadtothesetragedies.
InadditiontohisvisittoLampedusa,thepopehasskillfullycombinedhiswordswithsmallbut
profoundactsofcompassiontowardforcedmigrantsandsolidaritywiththem,thusamplifying
hismessage.HehashadChristmasgiftsdeliveredtoresidentsofamigrantshelternearthe
Vatican,visitedaJesuitrunrefugeeshelterinRomeand,morerecently,sentEastercakesto
ChristianrefugeesinIraq.HealsohashighlightedtheirstrugglesinhistripsoutsideRome,
meetingwithSyrianrefugeesinJordanandimmigrantsinNaples.
Throughhisdeedsandmessages,thepopehasplacedtheissueofmigrationandthehuman
rightsofpersonsforcedtomigrateatthecenterofhispapacy.Healsohasmovedittothe
centerofpolicydebatesinworldcapitals.Asaresult,hehasforcedelectedleadersworldwideto
rethinktheirapproachtothistimelessandvexinghumanrightsissue.

TheFrancisEffectonMigrationPolicy
Thepopesactionshavehelpedinfluencethedirectionofmigrationpolicyglobally,shaming
governmentsintoaddressingmigrationissues.
NowherehashehadmoreinfluencethaninEurope.SoonafterthepopesvisittoLampedusa,
theItaliangovernmentlaunchedarescueoperationcalledMareNostrum(OurSea),which
savedthelivesof150,000personsattemptingtoreachEuropebyseaoverthecourseofayear.
Sadly,theoperationendedinNovember2014becauseofcostsandthelackofsupportfrom
otherEuropeangovernments.
InaspeechtotheEuropeanParliamentinStrasbourgthatmonth,PopeFrancisurged
Europeannationstojointogethertoprotectmigrants.WecannotallowtheMediterraneanto
becomeavastcemetery,hesaid.Europeanofficialsarenowdiscussinghowtoworkmore
cooperativelytorespondtothemostrecentcrisisintheMediterranean.
Intheareaofrefugeeprotection,FrancisfocusontheSyrianconflictanditshuman
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consequenceshashelpedcreatepoliticalspaceforgovernmentstotakeaction.TheUnited
States,forexample,intendstoresettleseveralthousandSyriansin2015,upfromatotalofonly
583duringthefirstthreeyearsoftheconflict.Othernationsshouldfollowsuit.TheUnited
NationsHighCommissionerforRefugeeshassetaworldwideresettlementgoalof130,000
Syriansbytheendof2016.
Thevoiceofthepopeandthetestimonyofthepopehaveanenormousimportancetohelpus
allandtohelpthosewhostruggleforrefugeeprotectiontobemaintainedinoursocieties,said
AntnioGuterres,theU.N.HighCommissioner.
AsforrefugeesfleeingtheIslamicState,PopeFrancishascalledinternationalattentiontotheir
situation,whichotherwisemighthavebeenignoredorovershadowedbyindifference.InAugust
2014,hecalledforanendtothepersecutionofIraqiandSyrianreligiousminorities,including
Christians,andcalledupontheinternationalcommunitytoworktogethertostopit.
Inthesecases,wherethereisanunjustaggressor,Icanonlysaythatitislicittostopthe
aggressor,hesaid.Althoughmanytookthatstatementasanendorsementoftheuseofforce
againsttheIslamicState,thepopeclarifiedthattheinternationalcommunityshouldlookatall
optionsandalsoaddressthepolitical,socialandeconomicexclusionthatextremistsexploit:I
thankthosewho,withcourage,arebringingsuccortothesebrothersandsisters,andIam
confidentthataneffectivepoliticalsolutiononboththeinternationalandlocallevelsmaybe
foundtostopthesecrimesandreestablishtheruleoflaw.
Buildingonthepopesstatement,ArchbishopSilvanoTomasi,therepresentativeoftheHoly
SeetotheUnitedNationsinGeneva,endorsedamultilateralmilitaryoptionagainstISIS,
withintheframeworkofinternationalandhumanitarianlaw.Wehavetostopthisgenocide,
hesaid.
ThepopesfocusontheSyrianandIraqirefugeecrisis,oneofthelargesthumanitariancrisesin
memory,hasemphasizedtheimportanceoftwoprimaryissuesfortheglobalchurch:the
protectionoftherightsofthosefleeingpersecutionandthepreservationofreligiousminorities,
particularlyChristians,intheMiddleEast.Hisinterventionshavehelpedkeeptheseissuesat
theforefrontoftheinternationalresponsetothecrisis.
Finally,thepopehasmadethefightagainsthumantraffickingatoppriority,usinghismost
forcefullanguageinattackingit.In2013hecalledhumantraffickingacrimeagainst
humanityandsignedajointdeclarationwithotherfaithleaderstoendhumantraffickingby
2020.

AmericasLampedusa
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OnApril1,2014,theU.S.ConferenceofCatholicBishopsCommitteeonMigration,ledbyits
chairman,BishopEusebioElizondoofSeattle,andCardinalSenOMalley,O.F.M.Cap.,of
Boston,celebratedMassattheU.S.Mexicobordertocommemoratethethousandsofmigrants
whodiedattemptingtocrosstheunforgivingU.S.southwestdesertsorsoonafterdoingso.
HundredsattendedtheMass,whichreceivedwidespreadmediaattention.
TheideafortheMasshaditsrootsinthepopesvisittoLampedusa.TheU.S.Mexicoborder,
thebishopssaid,istheLampedusaoftheUnitedStates,aplacemanymigrantshaveattempted
toreach,sometimesatthecostoftheirlives.TheMassanditspowerfulimagesofthebishops
givingCommunionthroughtheborderfencegavesomemomentumtotheimmigrationreform
debateinWashington,althoughlegislationeventuallydiedintheHouse.
Asageneralmatter,thepopehasnotdirectlyweighedinonU.S.immigrationissues,although
hereportedlydiscussedimmigrationreformwithPresidentObamaattheVaticanlastyear.But
hiswellpublicizedandsuccessfulinterventionwiththeU.S.governmentatthetimetohaltthe
deportationofthefatherofa10yearoldMexicanAmericangirl,JerseyVargas,madeitclear
wherehissympathieslay.
HealsowrotealettertotheMexico/HolySeeColloquiumonMigrationandDevelopmentheld
inMexicoCityinJuly2014,inwhichhecalledfortheprotectionofunaccompaniedminors
fleeingviolenceinCentralAmerica:Suchahumanitarianemergencydemands,firstofall,
urgentintervention,suchthattheseminorsarereeivedandprotected.Todate,legislationin
CongressthatwouldsendchildrenbacktoCentralAmericawithoutanasylumhearinghas
failedtoadvance.
LastDecember,PopeFranciswrotealettertoteenagersinArizonawhohadvolunteeredforthe
JesuitsponsoredKinoBorderInitiative,laudingthemforhelpingimmigrantsattheU.S.
Mexicoborder.InperhapshismostprovocativecommentonU.S.immigrationpolicy,Pope
FrancistoldreportersthathewouldliketowalkacrosstheU.S.Mexicobordertoshow
solidaritywithMexicanimmigrants:ToentertheUnitedStatesfromtheborderwithMexico
wouldbeabeautifulgestureofbrotherhoodandsupportforimmigrants,hesaid.
ComeSeptember,theHolyFatherwillhaveanopportunitytoaddresstheU.S.Congresson
immigrationandotherissuesimportanttohimandthechurch.Hisaddressshouldhavea
majorimpactand,ataminimum,helpcreateamorepositivepoliticalatmosphereandtone
towardimmigrantsonCapitolHillandbeyond.

AMessageofHope
WhatisthemainmessagethatcanbetakenfromPopeFrancisstrongdefenseofpersonson
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themoveimmigrants,refugeesandvictimsoftrafficking?Itisthatthesepersonsareour
brothersandsistersandshouldbeaffordedthesamerightsasallofGodschildrentolivetheir
livesinsafetyandwiththeopportunitytoreachtheirGodgivenpotential.Ashetoldthe
SeventhWorldCongressforthePastoralCareofMigrants,authentichumandevelopment
requiresfullparticipationinthehumancommunity:Theauthenticrighttodevelopment
regardseverypersonandallpeople,viewedintegrally.Thisdemandsthatallpeoplebe
guaranteedaminimallevelofparticipationinthelifeofthehumancommunity.
PopeFrancishasbeenunafraidtoholdgovernmentsaccountableforrespectingtheserights
andfortheirrestrictivepoliciesagainstmigrants.Thetimehascomeforustoabandonthe
ideaofaEuropethatisfearfulandselfabsorbed,hetoldtheEuropeannations.Hisgreatest
contributionhasbeenhisabilitytochangetheinternationaldiscourseonanissuethat
continuestoperplexandchallengegovernments.Obviously,ascitizensoftheworld,wesee
PopeFrancisasasymbolofhopeformanythings,theU.N.sGuterressaid.
Asthepopesaidinhis2014message,hisprimarygoalistohelpchangeglobalattitudes:A
changeofattitudetowardmigrantsandrefugeesisneededonthepartofeveryone,moving
awayfromtheattitudesofdefensivenessandfear,indifferenceandmarginalizationalltypical
ofathrowawayculturetowardattitudesbasedonacultureofencounter,theonlyculture
capableofbuildingabetter,morejustandfraternalworld.Whilethisisachallenge,giventhe
nativistsentimentsinmanynations,PopeFrancishasnothesitatedtoforcefullyengageand
definetheconversation.
Significantly,PopeFrancisoutreachtopersonsonthemovealsohasaffectedthelifeand
missionofthechurch.Inhisstatementforthe2015WorldDayofMigrantsandRefugees,he
placedpastoralministryandservicetomigrantsatthecenterofthechurchsmission:The
churchwithoutfrontiers,Mothertoall,spreadsthroughouttheworldacultureofacceptance
andsolidarity,inwhichnooneisseenasuseless,outofplaceordisposable.Ataminimum,he
istellingus,onhiswatchthechurchwillrejectandtranscendthethrowawaycultureandset
anexamplethatgovernmentsshouldfollow.
Inthefinalanalysis,thePopeFranciswordsandactionshisvisittoLampedusa,hisfrequent
meetingswithrefugees,hisactsofkindnesstoimmigrantsarethoseofapastor,whosegoalis
todeliveramessageofhopetoaportionofhumanitythatoftenfeelsonlyhopelessness.Thisis
apowerfulwitnessthatshouldcontinuetoweighupontheconscienceoftheworld.
J.KevinApplebyisthedirectorofmigrationpolicyandpublicaffairsfortheU.S.
ConferenceofCatholicBishops.

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SourceURL:http://americamagazine.org/issue/migrantpope
Links:
[1]http://americamagazine.org/tocpast/20150706
[2]http://americamagazine.org/users/jkevinappleby

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