With millions of people fleeing violence, persecution and poverty around the globe, individual nations must expand options that make it possible for migrants and refugees to cross their borders safely and legally, Pope Francis said.
refugees
Catholics Concerned Over New Immigration Order
Within hours of President Donald Trump’s new executive order March 6 banning refugees from six majority-Muslim nations, Catholic and other religious groups joined secular leaders in questioning the wisdom of such a move, with others vowing to oppose it outright.
Pope: Popularism Threatens Migrants
Indifference, fueled by populist rhetoric in today’s world, fans the flames of rejection that threaten the rights and dignity of migrants, Pope Francis said.
US Church Leaders Blast Trump’s Immigration Action
President Trump’s executive memorandum intended to restrict the entry of terrorists into the U.S. brought an outcry from Catholic leaders, who used phrases such as “devastating” and “chaotic” to describe the action that left already-approved refugees stranded at U.S. airports.
National Migration Week Starts Jan. 8
“Creating a Culture of Encounter” is the theme of 2017’s National Migration Week, Jan. 8-14, an annual observance the U.S. Catholic bishops began over 25 years ago.
Lebanese Cardinal: Peace Needs Justice, Repatriation
A permanent solution to the refugee crises in the Middle East requires lasting peace and the repatriation of refugees, not resettlement to third countries, said Cardinal Bechara Rai, patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church, on a pastoral visit to the U.S.
Displaced Iraqi Nuns Respond to Refugees
When the Islamic State group rolled across Iraq’s Ninevah Plain in 2014, tens of thousands of Christians fled for their lives to Kurdish-controlled areas of the country. They still wait in limbo in crowded camps, facing an undefined future. The only certainty they enjoy is knowing that whatever happens to them, a group of Dominican nuns will be at their side.
UN Asked to Respond To Islamic State Terror
While religious freedom in much of the Middle East is under siege and the civil war in Syria seems to have no end in sight, the Knights of Columbus and others called the United Nations to action. Sister Maria de Guadalupe Rodrigo spoke of her missionary experiences in Syria.
Pope: Fate of Refugees Makes You Want to Cry
When an aide suggested Pope Francis offer to fly some Syrian refugees back to Rome with him, the pope said he agreed immediately because it was “an inspiration of the Holy Spirit.”
Finding a Way to Welcome the Stranger
If we look around, can’t we all find some opportunity to make a “small dent” in welcoming the stranger?