Pope John Paul II on Migration

Felipe L. Muncada, SVD

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 197

Pope John Paul II on Migration

Felipe L. Muncada, SVD

List of Abbreviations1

CMM The Church and Mankind on the Move. May 26, 1978.
CM The Church and Migrants. October 17, 1985.
PM The Problems of Migration. August 15, 1986.
AS Apostolate of the Sea. November 1, 1988.
DR The Dignity and Rights of Every Person. January 9, 1989.
RN Refugees are Neighbors. September 8, 1989.
WM World Migrants Day . September 10, 1989.
CP Counteracting Proselytism of Migrants. October 26, 1989.
MR Migrant Rights Based in Human Dignity. July 5, 1990.
PrM Proselytizing of Migrants. July 25, 1990.
PI Protecting Immigrants. October 5, 1991.
CII The Church and Illegal Immigrants. July 25, 1995.

I. Introduction

A. Introduction:

Though immigration is as old as man himself, it is still one of the hotly

debated issues these days. The movement of peoples which used to be
confined to within a few hundred kilometers from the one's hometown, has

extended beyond national boundaries. While for some sending countries

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immigration may bring benefits in terms of lessened unemployment pressures,

and increased foreign currencies due to the remittance of the overseas
workers, receiving countries may feel the pressure on its infrastructures such
as health and education services that the influx of new immigrants demands.

B. Importance of the Study:

Scholarly journals debate about the causes, determinants, good and evil
effects of immigration from the point of view of sending and receiving
countries and the immigrants themselves. Rarely discussed are the impacts
of ideas of the leaders of nations and influential leaders of large groups. So
here we ask, what does the leadership of a non-political group, which has a
membership of about 17% of the world population has to say about immigra
tion. The group I have in mind is the Catholic Church, and the Pope as its
leader.

With most of its 960 million members2 living in poor countries, surely there
is much mobility of people from among the members of the Catholic Church.
A leader of such huge group of people would have reason to worry about the
physical and spiritual welfare of its members. The pronouncements of the
Pope, about migration in this case, will have an impact on the migrant
Catholics in different countries in terms of awareness of their situation, their

rights and the obligations of nation states. The impact of the Pope's teach
ings would not be limited to migrant Catholics but would logically extend also
to Catholics among the elite, among those in the political hierarchy of each
country.

One has to consider too, the vast organizational network of the Catholic
Church. The dioceses with its bishops and the parishes with its priests, have
a strong moral influence on its faithful. In many cases, these church leaders
are in contact with the people down to the family and individual level. A
 Pope John Paul II on Migration 199

case in point is the 1986 People's Power Revolution in the Philippines. When
the influential Bishops threw their support behind the political opposition
party, hundreds of thousands of people supported the move. This shows
clearly how much the Church's moral influence can turn to political power
when needed.

But of course the Pope is a spiritual leader. He is does not identify himself
with any political faction. His moral authority to speak about human
conditions rests on the 2,000 years of Christian tradition. As a prophet, the
Pope can push the envelope of the definitions and understanding about human
beings and the social order.
This article attempts to describe various papal writings about immigra
tion. Specifically, this article limits itself to Papal speeches about immigra
tion and attempts to cover the reign of the present pontiff Poppe John Paul
II. And while the Church focuses its spiritual care on Catholic migrants, the
guidelines for actions for governments concerns all migrants. I will start with
how the Church understands immigration, its causes and effects and then
proceed to the pontiff's guidelines for actions.

II. Church's view of Migration

A. Introduction:

The first question that comes to mind, is what right or authority does the
Church has when she speaks about secular issues like migration? In other
words, what qualifies the Church in general, and the Pope, in particular, to
speak about migration at all?
The answer seems to lie deep in the core of the Church's foundation itself:
"The knowledge of man which the Church has acquired in Christ.. makes her
an 'expert on mankind'." The knowledge brings with it an obligation to
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proclaim the basic rights of man (CMM). In proclaiming the basic rights of
man, Church plays and "educative role... in order to enlighten public opinion
and stimulate consciences" (CM). The Church accomplishes this role by being
the "voice of the voiceless" (CM), especially when human rights are "trampled
on" (CMM).

On the one hand, as an institution dedicated to spiritual matters, the

Church's views on various problems facing the world today may not be the
same as the views of the leaders of nations. On the other hand, precisely
because the Church is "situated. . . above political, economic or strategic
interest," the Church can offer a different point of reference (DR). She can
offer a farsighted and impartial blueprint for the advancement of mankind
(CMM).

B. Church's understanding of migration

The Church is very much aware of the complexity and of the various
factors that contributes towards migration:

. . . the notable increase in the number of cultural agreements and

exchanges; the interdependence of states, especially in the economic
area; the establishment of multinational corporations; the imbalance
between countries with abundant resources and poor countries; the
efforts to assure social benefits on an ever wider scale; progress in
the media for communication and the spread of ideas (CMM).

Students of migration can recognize threads of World-System the

ory, Dependency theory; the effects of multinationals corporations
(Sassen), to name a few migration studies. In contrast with economistic
views on migration, the Church believes that everyone has the right to
leave his country and live in another country. Pope John Paul II, quotes
 Pope John Paul II on Migration 201

the encyclical Laborem Exercens:

Man has the right to leave his country of origin for various motives
as also to return there and to seek better conditions of life in
another country (CM).

The Church sees the "violence of poverty and underdevelopment" as

one of the causes for people to leave their homelands (MR). These
people do not emigrate out of free choice, but often under pressure from
hunger and subhuman living conditions. Sometimes they emigrate to
escape harsh persecution due to their political or religious convictions
(PI). The Church sees this kind of migration, as "an evil, a necessary
evil." (CM). It is a necessary evil for the person who emigrates and for
his family which generally goes through a difficult phase, with all the
risks of uprooting. It is also an evil for the migrant's own country
which is deprived of a subject who enriches its life, its culture, its drive.
One cannot consider migration, a priori, as a positive fact, to be sought
or promoted (CM).
There are of course, mobility stemming from the free choice, or the
mobility induced by compulsion. "The Church has always kept this
basic distinction in mind. . . (and) she has given preference. . . to those
who are more impoverished, needy or marginalized" (CMM).
The Church is also aware of the issue of illegal immigrants (CII).
Illegal immigrants do create problems in countries where they settle.
Illegality of status however, should not be a reason for loss of human
dignity.
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C. Definitions:

Migrants, the word as such, encompasses all people on the move

from one place to the other, whether locally or internationally. Specifi
cally, migrants can be categorized into the following (CMM):
Airplane personnel, profession leads them to travel the skies and move
rapidly... included here the passengers and those who staff the airports.
Seamen involved in transport and fishing, who spend their time at sea
and are habitually cut off from the family circle and the homeland.
Tourists, who come in contact with new environments and societies for
the sake of recreation, medical treatment, cultural enrichment or
religious pilgrimage. . . can be added all who habitually use the roads.
Emigrants in the usual sense of the word... those who leave traditional
home to seek in foreign parts a new manner of life and a new way of
gaining livelihood workers but also include industrial technicians as
well as exiles and refugees in search of freedom... young students who
go abroad to complete their technical training and cultural formation.
Nomads, who live on the move, always stranged... from society, which
has trouble groping their ethnic and cultural identity.

D. Problems of Migration:

Mobility places the migrant in a paradoxical situation. He is

obliged to leave the family (or his future family) in order to provide
their for their material well-being, and yet once in the country of
destination, he finds himself deprived of the possibility for attaining his
aspirations (PM). Migrants are often made scapegoats for economic
ills (such as unemployment) that may plague the country of destination.
 Pope John Paul II on Migration 203

"Borders are closed. . . laws become harsher to the point of bringing

about the infinitely sad reality that entry is denied. . . ." (MR). The
migrant is torn between staying illegally and going home in which case
he forfeits his chances attaining his aspirations. What often results is
that families remain split, and that a group of veritable stateless
persons is created. And once they are in (at times illegally), immigrants
are exploited, their work poorly remunerated, with their living condi
tions and status of sojourn in a precarious state for a long time (MR).
Against these tendencies, the Church urges the host countries to resist
such temptations, "especially if a racist ideology seeks to justify. . .
instinctive protective action" (CM).
Migration as a necessary evil undertaken by people as means for
survival presents various problems both on the personal level and
societal level. The Church focuses on the impact of migration on the
migrant himself, his family, faith, and professional career.

1. Personal Level:

On the personal level, mobility affects the migrant's manner of

thinking and his style of life (CMM). The effect can both be positive
and negative. Uprooted from his familiar environment, the migrant
may be more susceptible and open for dialogue. In which case leads
him to deepen his convictions. On the other hand, being uprooted from
one's environment, can also cause a deeper loneliness, and an isolation
due to anonymity. Under such an environment, the migrant may either
reject the new environment (consciously or unconsciously), or he may
uncritically accept everything that the new environment offers and at
the same time reject his previous experiences. All these are sources of
cultural and social alienation (CMM).
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2. Family:
The family is one of those fragile institutions that constantly require
care and the stability of members in order to survive and stay intact.
Mobility as such hinders the vocation of husband and wife to transmit
life, values and love (PM). That a person would leave his family (or
that families would leave) in order to seek employment outside the
country, reflects on the difficult economic situations in their home
countries (PM). A migrant lives for months and even years far from
their wives and children. As a consequence, both husband and wife
have to assume unaccustomed roles and their children are deprived of
a parental figure. The education of their children is left to other elderly
people who may not always capable of helping the younger generation
to project itself into the future (PM).
Even if they get reunited in the host country after years of separa
tion, the precarious state of their residence permit and of their jobs
often deeply affects the family situation of thousands of workers, with
the consequent uncertainty of all their plans including those of the
schooling of their children. Being employed in difficult work, often
means long hours of work and shifts which render the healthy and
harmonious growth of the nuclear family very difficult (PM).
Some migrant families are lucky enough that their children can
attend the host country's schools. But even then, migrant families are

often deprived of the possibility of transmitting their own language and

culture. The parents thus become passive witnesses vis-a-vis a school
system and a society which imposes on their children ideals and values
which are difficult to integrate into those of the family (PM).
 Pope John Paul II on Migration 205

3. Faith:

The insecurity and difficulty both physical and psychological,

hinders a migrant's growth in faith. In some countries, the practice of
their faith is totally banned. In other countries, while not banned, it is
often hard enough to find a church no less than a Catholic priest or
religious to help them. And when they finally find one, the services are
usually in a language they could hardly understand, or, the church could
be very far from where they live. Among illegal migrants, the fear of
being captured or "handed in" is always at the back of their mind.
The concern for physical survival often hinders a migrant from
participating in religious activities. Unfortunately, even when the
problem of subsistence has been solved, the migrant and his family can
still be tempted to pursue only material and consumer values and to
neglect the very important options of a cultural and spiritual nature
(PM).

Another danger to the migrants faith is the active proselytizing of

many religious movements (PrM). These new movements usually
promise facile reductions and assures quick shortcuts. Their impulse
towards absolute values is not supported by authentic religious experi
ence and serious moral commitment (CP).

Migrants are among the high-risk group because of their particular

situation of discomfort, insecurity, loneliness and fear. Religious
groups that could offer to alleviate these fears, either through material
incentives or psychological means could win them easily. Studies on
recruitment to sects and religious groups show clearly that most of the
recruits are persons are loosely integrated into the society, a descrip
tion that perfectly fits a migrant.
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4. Structural:

Church sees migration as "path fraught with difficulties and bitter

disappointments" (MR) in which migrants see as the route to hope. The
Church is deeply aware of the difficulties migrants face, especially
entry to the country of destination. This is true with regards to nations
that "tend to close their boundaries" (WM). As a policy, most countries
are selective when it comes to migration: they accept only migrants
who can contribute to the economic growth of the state. In other
words, when migrants do not offer economic advantage, they are
barred from entry.
Those who are lucky enough to get in often suffer all sorts of
discriminations. Migrants find it difficult to find a job opening other
than the most humble, tiresome and least-paid jobs (WM). These are
jobs identified by three "d's" dangerous, dirty, and difficult. They
also suffer discrimination in housing and participation on a socio
political level (PM).
A migrant's problems become aggravated when he is living in a
"rigidly structured and stratified culture" (WM). When you add a
difficult foreign language to a highly structured society, the point of
entry, even for a minor degree of social integration can be extremely
difficult. Even if the migrant succeeds in solving his economic prob
lems, he "always remain poor in terms of welcome, of rights, of security
and of openings for social and professional advancement" for himself,
his family and children (WM).

III. Guidelines for Action

The Church as a non-political entity has no direct influence as to

 Pope John Paul II on Migration 207

how states should conduct their affairs. All it can do is establish

guidelines or suggestions for the protection of migrants. Within its own

bureaucracy however, the Church can establish guidelines and mobilize
her resources and manpower for the protection of migrants. We discuss
below some of the guidelines and suggestions for both nation-states and
the local Churches.

A. Mobility as a human Right:

The Church views mobility as one of the human rights, a right which
is "not based primarily on juridical membership in a determined com
munity, but, prior to that, on the dignity of the person" (MR). These
inalienable rights are inherent in every human being and "do not depend
on prevailing conditions or socio-political situations" (RN). To this end:

. . . there is an urgent need to be able to advance beyond a strictly

nationalistic attitude in their regard in order to create a statute which
would recognize their right to emigrate, would foster their incorpora
tion, make their professional development easier, and give them
access to decent housing where they could reunite their families, if
need be (MR).

At the time when global economy is more interdependent on each

other, there is a need to have a global world-view on politics and also
on human mobility (CMM). Particular attention should be given to all
human rights "solemnly sanctioned since 1951 in the Convention of the
United Nations on the Statute for Refugees, and confirmed in the 1967
protocol on the same statute" (RN). These human rights are not mere
juridical norms but first and foremost values. "These values must be
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maintained and fostered in society, otherwise they also risk disappear

ing from the texts of the law. And so the dignity of the person must be
protected in society before being protected by law" (DR).
The road towards full and real international social solidarity is
rough and the journey, not an easy task. There is therefore a need to
"penetrate the universal conscience and in this way sensitize public
authorities, international organizations and private citizens to the duty
of accepting and sharing" with the migrants especially, with those who
are poorest (PI). Only when we as human beings, succeed in this effort
at real international solidarity will we guarantee a better future for
everyone.

B. Challenge to Receiving Countries:

The first challenge to receiving countries, especially affluent host

countries, is to abandon a mentality in which the poor are considered as
burden, as undesirable and irksome intruders (PI).
There are cases where because of physical proximity or cultural
affinity, a country may be overwhelmed by migrants for instance the
influx of refugees. In such cases, the care of migrants should not be the
burden of a host country alone. There should be solidarity from other
countries so that the host country would not have to carry the cost
beyond its own resources (CM). Wealthy countries should be involved
in the solution of the problem since they bear some of the responsibility
for the inequalities which the poorest ones endure. Wealthy countries
should therefore contribute to the lessening of the crying disparities
which are likewise motivations for immigrating (MR). In sharing their
own resources, wealthy nations are creating effective opportunities for
 Pope John Paul II on Migration 209

progress and development (PI). Aside from possible economic opportu

nities, the "advancement of the poor constitutes a great opportunity for
the moral, cultural and even economic growth of all humanity" (PI).
Beyond simple welcome, however, host countries should work
towards total integration of migrants into their respective societies
(CM). "It is not enough. . . to open one's doors to migrants and allow
them to enter; one must also make it easier for them to become a real
part of the society which receives them. Solidarity must become daily
experience of assistance, sharing and participation" (PI) (CII). While it
is praiseworthy that host countries give them the means of survival,
host countries should also to enter into a constructive partnership with
them (MR).
The issue of integration becomes all the more pressing when it
comes to the "second generation who wants to remain in the country
where they have finally found security in a fuller life than in their
country of origin. This implies that they should be able to fit into their
new place, to integrate in the best way possible" (CM). In particular,
migrants should be integrated with regards the following aspects:
Family: The Church advocates the reunification of the family (PM).
Foremost for the Church is the promotion and defense of family values.
Together with the liberty to movement, the family reserves the right to
choose an education for their children. "Equal education opportunities
should be accorded to children of migrants so that having attained
the same degree of efficiency they can compete for jobs on an equal
footing with local children" (PM).
Cultural expressions: Beyond economic equity, the host country
should also commit itself to a policy of increasing outlets of all genuine
cultural expressions. This is because every family has the right to its
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own specific cultural identity (PM). The preservation and enhancement

of their cultural and traditional patrimony would ease their integration
into their host country and at the same time, should they desire to do
so, prepare them for their return to the country of origin (MR).
Housing: One of the benefits host countries derive from the presence
of migrant workers is that, migrant workers extend the usefulness of
some structures, such as old housing. Unable to afford decent housing,
migrants often endure living in old, dilapidated and dangerous struc
tures. The Church however advocates a policy that fairly distributes
publicly financed housing without any discrimination (PM).
Job: Migrant workers usually take the dirtiest and most hazardous
jobs that ordinary local workers would not take. For host countries,
migrant workers serve as reserve pool of workers ready to be used and
disposed of anytime. And since their salaries are often low, companies
and industries in host countries avoid mechanization and thereby
effectively lowering their cost of production. Against this, the Church
reminds the host countries to avoid all forms of discrimination espe
cially with regard to jobs (PM).
As for illegal immigrants, while the Church affirms the need to
prevent illegal migration, she also underlines the greater need to com
bat the criminal activities which exploit illegal immigrants (CII).
Foremost concern should be to provide them with the necessary means
for subsistence. Next would be the completion of administrative papers
so that illegal immigrants can obtain residence permit. When such
repatriation is necessary, charitable groups and institutions should also
help. There should be special effort on behalf of illegal immigrants who
are so 'deeply rooted in the society that returning to their own country
of origin would be tantamount to a form of reverse emigration' (CII).
 Pope John Paul II on Migration 211

As host countries face these challenges, especially the protection of

the weaker sections of the community, they contribute to the building
of a more just and humane society (PM).

D. Challenge to labor sending countries:

Labor sending countries need a two-pronged approach in helping the

migrants. First, the economic lot of the citizens should be improved so
that there are fewer reasons to leave in the first place. When men,
women and families live decently and in peace in their own land, there
would be fewer reasons to migrate (MR).
Second, countries of origin should adequately plan for the returning
migrants' reintegration into the society. Upon return, migrants should
be able to reintegrate productively and that "parents and children. . .
not doubly discriminated against and be obliged to undertake another
exodus" (PM).

E. Challenge to Migrants themselves:

The Church reminds the migrants of the richness of their own

civilization, culture, traditions and human and spiritual values.
Migrants should demonstrate their fidelity to their origins and their
fidelity to their faith (CM). For it is from these values that migrants
should draw their strength to begin a new life (RN).
But being initially marginal members of the community with little
or no rights at all, there is a danger of developing an inferiority
complex among migrants. There is a strong temptation to close
themselves in a 'ghetto' kind of life. The Church challenges the
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migrants to strongly resist this temptation. Living in isolation would

damage indispensable exchanges which could enrich and fructify one's
culture (CM).
And "just as it is necessary to avoid the possibility of migrants living
totally alongside other people, forming a world apart, neither must they
let themselves be 'assimilated,' absorbed, to the point of being dissolved
into the surrounding society, renouncing their original riches, their
identity. Everything must be done so that they may participate, with
their own heritage, in the common cultural, spiritual and human good
of the national community which they have joined. This presupposes
openness, mutual respect, dialogue, exchange and participation among
all the partners" (CM).

F. Challenge to the Church:

First challenge to the whole Church is in terms of awareness of

issues. The entire people of God should become aware of the facts of
mobility and their implications on the religious, pastoral, missionary
and social dimensions (CMM). The complexity and magnitude of the
migration phenomenon would necessarily have its repercussions at the
ecclesial level. There is therefore a need for a pastoral care "without
frontier," and where no one is marginal (CMM).
Among the migrants the Church is most concerned with refugees
(PI). The preferential choice for pastoral care must be for those who
experience the "tragedy of forced migration" (CP). "The council
directs the pastoral care of the Church to the particular needs of those
who have been forced to leave their own countries or who simply do not
have a country" (CP).
 Pope John Paul II on Migration 213

1. Church Leadership:
"Episcopal conferences, especially national ones, should pay. . .
attention to the more pressing problems confronting. . . (different
migrant groups). Such conferences should look to and promote the
spiritual care of these people by means of suitable methods and institu
tions" (CMM).
In order to better prepare the would-be migrant for experiences
mobility brings with it, there is a need to train and update local pastors.
This training should start during their formation years in the seminary
(CMM). Chaplains of migrant workers has equal status with the local
clergy (CMM). With the shortage of priests, the Church envisions
active participation of permanent deacons and religious women for the
pastoral care of migrants (CMM).
The Church encourages the formation of pastoral centers for inter
disciplinary studies which collate the materials needed for developing
and applying a pastoral plan. "At such centers, sociologists, psycholo
gists, anthropologists, economists, legal scholars and canonist, moral
ists and theologians meet with pastors of souls to pool their knowledge
and experience, thus contributing to a deeper grasp of the facts and to
an understanding of the suitable means to be used" (CMM). One cannot
discount the role of the laity in the evangelization, formation and
pastoral care of the migrants (CP). The laity must be encouraged and
supported in the discharge and exercise of their responsibilities which
is incumbent on their Christian vocation (CMM).

2. The Host Church:

The local Church at the point of arrival has the main pastoral
responsibility of immigrants (CMM). They should extend "warm
 214

welcome" to migrants (CMM). A welcome not be restricted to Catho

lics and Christians alone but also to non-Christians. This should be

done in a hearty and disinterested way so as to be an example of

charity. In doing so, the local Church offers a "clear witness of the love
of God in Christ" (WM). Although the "Church has the same affection
for all the categories of human being who are involved in. . . mobility,
it is natural that her concern should be directed first and foremost to

her own sons and daughters" (CMM). Churches in host countries should
provide "foreigners, whether resident or transient, with needed help
that is not unequal to or less than that which the other faithful are
receiving in their home diocese" (CMM).
Catholic migrants who come from different local churches should
not be left to themselves. "They must be helped by a specific apostolate
and one suited to their needs" (CP). Pastoral care should start at the
parish level. The parish is "called upon to multiply itself. . . so that
authentic Christian... communities... can take shape in human groups
on the move" (CMM). Host churches should take particular attention
at the following areas:
a. Formation of faith:

One of the major component of this pastoral care is the commitment

to human development (PM). First and foremost however, ministers
to migrants should "insist on catchesis of adults, which favors
Christian formation and a growth in the Faith of the migrants; on
active participation in the celebration of the Sacraments, starting
with baptism; on the formation in prayer of the migrant community
as a whole; on a cohesive commitment to giving testimony to love"
(WM).
 Pope John Paul II on Migration 215

b. Respect ethnic backgrounds:

While the Church is anxious that everyone fit wholly into the unity
of the Church, she is also respectful of the diversity (CM). Inasmuch
as migrants come from different cultural background and into
different countries, pastoral care cannot be identical in all times and
places. Pastoral care should take into consideration, the migrants'
background, the society in which he lives and the real prospects that
his condition offers (PM). There cannot be an isolated and self-
enclosed program for the pastoral care of migrants. Any program
should take into account the mentality, language and special situa
tion of these people (CMM).
c . Encourage ethnic communities:
Faith, for instance, is one but there are many ways of living it
according to different cultural traditions. Faith cannot be developed
and communicated except through the multiple channels of human
culture. "To ignore that need and to force migrants to live their
faith in unfamiliar ways is to force them into self-emargination, with
its consequences for and dangers to the faith. That is true not only
for individuals, but also for groups, since the communitarian dimen
sion is indispensable to the faith experience" (PrM). The Church
therefore encourages the presence of attractive ethnic communities
within which each individual can live express himself or herself is
helpful (PrM).

F. Positive aspects of migration

Migration, with all its negative impacts on both the sending and
receiving countries, do have some positive aspect.
 216

1. Contribution to society:
In their weakness and difficulties, migrants contribute to the
advancement of human society. "The movement of people from place
to place brings numerous opportunities for openness and unity" (CMM).
This same mobility also offers the opportunity "of learning to live
interpersonal relations in accordance to values" which are essential to
peace (CMM). The experience of countries who welcomed and received
migrants show that their solidarity with them did not mean loss of
efficiency. In fact, "when a nation opens itself to immigration, it is
rewarded with increased prosperity, a solid social renewal and a
vigorous impetus toward new economic and human goals" (PI). Receiv
ing countries advance toward a society that is culturally richer in its
diversity (CM).

2. Contribution to the Church:

Migrants play an important role in the missionary vocation of the

Church. Because of their mobility, migrants are called to spread the
Kingdom of God (WM). One has to recall that migrants were the first
missionaries "who supported the work of the apostles in the regions of
Judea and Samaria. Migration has... served as a vehicle for transmit
ting the Faith throughout the history of the Church and in the evangil-
ization of whole countries" (WM).
The loneliness and powerlessness that migrants experience may
lead to the deepening of their faith in God (AS). As they toil patiently
in the face of evil, migrants "offer testimony to the cross of Christ,
which has summed up in itself all human pain and has conferred on it
a redemptive value" (WM). Migrants can draw attention to the tran
scendental dimension of human life (WM).
 Pope John Paul II on Migration 217

The issue of migration stimulates local churches to develop global

vision for the common good and the advancement of the universal
Christian brotherhood:

a) the church at the point of departure, feels obliged to prepare and

follow up those of its faithful who for any reason betake themselves
elsewhere.

b) the church, which is the point of arrival, cultivates a profound

awareness of the new duties it has of providing service, especially to
those who take up residence in its territory.
c) both churches nourish their own sense of pastoral responsibility in
the light of a lively, practical sense of reciprocity (CMM).

IV. Summary and Conclusion

A. Summary

Prominent in the Papal writings is the concern for the migrant and
their families. The migrant has a right to move from one place to
another and eventually return to his country if needed. His human
rights has to be upheld and protected wherever he is. These human
rights are prior to membership in any political body or being a member
of a certain culture or people. The care of the migrants begins with and
in his country of origin. Governments should exert effort so that there
are fewer reasons to migrate. For those who have already migrated,
governments of countries of origin should establish programs for the
eventual reintegration of returning migrants.
When it comes to the duties of local Churches, the Papal writings
have much more to say. The Church's concern for migrants begins with
 218

the proper training and constant update of the ministers be they the
priests, deacons or lay ministers. Not much is written on the responsi
bilities of the sending churches towards migrants. While this may be
true, the Episcopal commissions have made definite pastoral strategies
on different levels: diocesan, national, and regional levels. Concrete
actions range from information exchange, preparation of pastoral
agents to serve migrants to coalition building with other migration and
refugee NGOs and advocacy.
The Papal writings assigns greater and more responsibilities to host
churches. Host churches should warmly welcome migrants. The care
for migrants should not be unequal or less that other faithful receive
from the diocese. First and foremost duty of host churches is the
Christian formation and growth in Faith of the migrants. Cognizant
however of the varied cultures and backgrounds that migrants come
from, pastoral care should respect and take these differences into
consideration. Migrants are encouraged to form ethnic communities so
that he can express his faith more meaningfully.
Though the Church sees migration as a necessary evil, there are also
positive aspects in migration. Migration offers the opportunity for
openness and unity. Countries who receive migrants emerge culturally
richer. Finally, migration stimulates local churches to develop global
vision towards universal brotherhood.

B. Discussion and Conclusion

The articles discussed mainly the rights and the care of the
migrants. Conspicuously lacking in the Papal writitings is reference to
the rights of the host countries. Does the Church recognize a country's
 Pope John Paul II on Migration 219

right to control over its borders? In other words, does a country have
the right to determine who would be allowed to enter? The Church
alludes indirectly to such right. Talking about granting asylum, the
Church holds that a host country should not be "alone to carry the cost
of which would be beyond its own resources and would imperil the
common good of its own subjects which is its first duty" (CM). One can
argue that since a host country's primarily duty is to its own subjects,
a country may refuse the entry of migrants when doing so would hinder
its capacity to promote the good of its citizens. The Church however
does not seem to take this line of argument. Instead of closing borders,
a host country may appeal to the solidarity of other countries so that
they are not unduly burdened (CM). Until 1995, the Church has been
silent when it comes to the rights of host countries to limit the entry of
economic and illegal immigrants. In fact, this is easily the single
outstanding feature of the documents. Host countries burdened by
hundreds of thousands of immigrants and even more illegal immigrants
may find such silence hard to bear and the implicit mandate to accept
everybody knocking on its door difficult to follow. The Church believes
that in the long run, the influx of migrants would bring to the host
country not only cultural richness but even economic prosperity. This
may be a debatable issue. While some migration authors like Portes,
believe that migrants give more to the local economy than what they
receive, more studies should be made to measure the economic cost and
benefit of accepting migrants. But even if it can be established beyond
doubt that immigration presents economic benefits in the long run, the
unfortunate fact is that the majority of the host population, with its
government leaders and politicians are more concerned with the imme
diate short term prospects. The politicians' concern for reelection
 220

makes them vulnerable to acquiesce to popular opinions, even without

the benefit or sometimes even in spite any empirical scientific evidence.
Migrants are easy targets of blame for economic difficulties brought
about by systemic adjustments.
The best thing that can happen is that barriers, ignorance and
prejudices are broken down one at a time. One such example is the
United States National Origins Act of 1924. Non-Europeans were
barred from entry into the country because of race. It was believed
then that race was an indicator of migrants' personal character and
their physical and intellectual ability to contribute to the society.
Through the advances in the understanding of humanity brought about
by education and science, this law was finally abolished in 1965.
In the same regard, total reintegration into a particular society will
no doubt come in stages. Reintegration will start with the right to basic
subsistence and culminate in the political and cultural reintegration. In
the meanwhile, the Church has to constantly remind nations about this
final goal. And maybe, rightly so, since the Pope last longer than most
politicians and the Church, certainly longer than most governments.
Perhaps it is not by ignorance but rather by design that the Pope
leaves out the rights of nation states to limit entry of foreigners. While
there will surely be various problems, ranging from the individual
psychological problems on the part of the migrants to the national
economic repercussions on the part of the sending and host countries,
the Church seems to indicate that these are short-term problems which
can be solved in the long run. In doing so, the Church is pushing its
vision of humanity, a world composed of many nations and cultures,
perhaps even devoid of political boundaries, but united in justice and
peace.
 Pope John Paul II on Migration 221

Note

1 "The Pope Speaks" served as the main source of material for this
article.

2 Data was taken from Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia, 1996.

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