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A milestone in teaching on human mobility
On 1 May 2004, the late Pope John Paul II authorized the publication
of the Instruction Erga Migrantes
Caritas Christi by the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care
of Migrants and Itinerant People (dated 3 May; L'Osservatore Romano
English edition, 26 May 2004, special insert, pp. I-XVI). Since then a
year has passed in which the Council has done its utmost to explain the
Document at various Church levels: continental, national, diocesan and
local, to all the Christian communities.
An important Document
The immediate response gave rise above all to a comparison of
Pastoral Instructions and Norms intended to regulate relations between
Christians and migrants of other religions, with special reference to
Islam (cf. Erga Migrantes Caritas Christi, nn. 59-68). Perhaps
this was inevitable, given the sensitivity that exists in many places
subsequent to the global impact of exponential migratory flows from
Umma [Iraq].
Journalists thus focused on the issue of marriage between Catholics
and' Muslims (cf. ibid., nn. 63, 67-68), with reflections making
the headlines that were generally meant to dissuade people from entering
into such unions.
On the other hand, the carefully thought out ideas expressed on this
subject, even those based on practical living experiences, were not
evaluated (cf. the mention in the Document of "bitter experience",
n. 67).
Based as it is on daily events, the Instruction was credited with
having produced a well-thought out reflection on the specific pastoral
care to offer immigrants in general and for the approach to relations
with Muslims in particular, in light of the teaching of the Second
Vatican Council. Indeed, the Document asks Catholic communities to
practise discernment: "It is a question of distinguishing between what
can be and cannot be shared in the religious doctrines and practices and
in the moral laws of Islam" (ibid., n. 65; cf. Nostra Aetate,
nn. 1-3, 5).
At the same time, however, the Instruction places its directives in a
broader positive context, where one grasps the determination of the
Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant
People not to exclude Muslims from its concern for migrants. To confirm
this, we recall here the respectful attention given to Muslim refugees,
present in large numbers, as the Final Document of the 16th Plenary
Assembly of our Council testifies (cf. Final Document, in People on
the Move 96 [2004] 164).
Moreover, the Instruction itself highlights the common values of
Christianity and Islam, although these may be expressed or manifested in
a different way, such as "belief in God the Creator and the Merciful,
daily prayer, fasting, almsgiving, pilgrimage, asceticism to dominate
the passions, and the fight against injustice and oppression" (Erga
Migrantes Caritas Christi, n. 66).
This is not meant, of course, to minimize the divergences, some
having to do with the legitimate acquisitions of modern life and thought
as the Instruction states: "Thinking in particular of human rights, we
hope that there will be, on the part of our Muslim brothers and sisters,
a growing awareness that fundamental liberties, the inviolable rights of
the person, the equal dignity of man and woman, the democratic principle
of government and the healthy lay character of the State are principles
that cannot be surrendered. It will likewise be necessary to reach
harmony between the vision of faith and the just autonomy of creation" (ibid.).
Furthermore, it is necessary to integrate this attention to Islam
into the broader spectrum that the Instruction intended to portray by
considering the various categories of migrants.
In addition to Latin rite Catholics (cf. ibid., nn. 49-51) to which the
Code of Canon Law refers, the Document likewise contemplates the
situation of Eastern rite Catholic migrants (cf. ibid., nn. 24-26;
52-55), in this case applying what the Code of Canons for the Eastern
Churches prescribes. Instructions and pastoral norms follow,
concerning relations with Christian migrants who are not in full
communion with the Catholic Church (cf. ibid., nn. 3; 56-68), and
with those of other religions (cf. ibid., 59-69).
It is in this perspective that the Instruction addresses wide-ranging
and timely themes, such as the ecumenical dimension of the phenomenon of
migration, and interreligious dialogue, which today must also be
confronted in traditionally Catholic communities. In brief, the Document
encourages a "serious dialogue with cultures" (ibid., n. 36)
marked by respect for the cultural identity of others.
It might be said that the topic of dialogue is the leitmotiv
which runs through the whole Document, attentively encouraging
interaction with a vast range of conversation partners. It is not a
matter of proposing a topic that is taken for granted, but rather of
indicating a path that can avoid the "clash of civilizations" to which
reference has sometimes been made.
Consequently, reflecting on the inculturation of the Gospel, the
Instruction outlines these important coordinates: "'Inculturation'", it
says, "begins by listening, which means getting to know those to whom we
proclaim the Gospel. Listening and knowing lead to a more adequate
discernment of the values and 'counter values' of their cultures in the
light of the Paschal Mystery of death and life. Tolerance is not enough;
needed is a certain feeling for the other, respect as far as possible
for the cultural identity of one's dialogue partners. To
recognize and appreciate their positive aspects.... This is the only way
to create dialogue, understanding and trust.
"Keeping our eyes on the Gospel thus means attention to people too,
to their dignity and freedom. Helping them advance integrally requires a
commitment to fraternity, solidarity, service and justice. The love of
God, while it gives humankind the truth and shows everyone his highest
vocation, also promotes his dignity and gives birth to community, based
on the Gospel proclamation being welcomed, interiorized, celebrated and
lived" (ibid.).
It is on this basis that each person is enabled to compare his or her
own identity with other cultural values and traditions and to be
enriched by being in contact with those who have different values,
outlooks and behaviour.
Once again, it is necessary to stress that this is not a matter of
"hypostatizing" a "facile irenicism" (ibid., n. 56), but of
overcoming prejudices, prevailing over religious relativism and avoiding
"unjustified suspicions and fears that hamper dialogue and erect
barriers, even provoking violence or misunderstanding" (ibid., n.
69).
Some reviewers, verging on superficiality, have written that in the
area of the pastoral care of migrants the Instruction has made no
special innovations, whereas there has been a unanimous chorus of
agreement in recognizing the merits of the Document as an up-to-date,
comprehensive compendium that adheres closely to the real situation of
this pressing topic and responds to the acutely-felt need to tackle it
once again, 35 years after the publication of the "Motu Proprio" De
Pastorali Migratorum Cura (cf. ibid., Presentation).
Continuity and renewal
The Instruction, in any case, reflected the earlier Instruction of
the Magisterium: the urgent priority need to provide a specific form of
pastoral care for Catholic migrants, that is, those who "'on account of
their way of life, cannot sufficiently make use of the common and
ordinary pastoral care of parish priests...''' (ibid., n. 21; cf.
also Christus Dominis n. 18; Exsul Familia, n. 5; De
Pastorale Migratorum Cura, n. 15).
The perspective has changed, however, since migration is no longer
considered a transitory phenomenon but rather an event that "is becoming
more and more a permanent structural phenomenon" (Erga Migrantes
Caritas Christi, n. 1).
The knowledge that migrants have their own cultural heritage must be
preserved and deepened. According to the Instruction, this implies
making specific pastoral decisions concerning the reception of migrants,
summarized as follows: "'This specific pastoral work operates in the
context of a phenomenon which, by bringing together persons of different
nationalities, ethnic origins and religions into contact, contributes to
making the true face of the Church visible' (cf. Gaudium et Spes,
n. 92) and brings out the value of migrations from the point of view of
ecumenism and missionary work and dialogue" (Erga Migrantes Caritas
Christi, n. 38).
Therefore, it is not merely a matter of preserving migrants' faith
but of paying precise attention to the context and to their rights as
human persons which the Instruction recognizes: their right to have a
homeland, to emigrate, to preserve their own language and cultural
patrimony, thereby reasserting what had been said earlier in De
Pastorale Migratorum Cura (cf. nn. 5; 1-11), but providing new
emphases, thanks to the thought of John Paul II, who insisted on the
"right of the individual not to emigrate, that is, the right to be able
to achieve his rights and satisfy his legitimate demands in his own
country" (Erga Migrantes Caritas Christi, n. 29; cf. Pontifical
Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People,
Address of the Holy Father, n. 2; Atti del IV Congresso Mondiale
sulla Pastorale de Migranti e dei Rifugiati [5-10 October 1998],
Vatican City, 1999, p. 9).
The specific pastoral care of migrants, however, corresponds exactly
with the fundamental right of the baptized to receive in abundance the
means of salvation. A well-known canon lawyer therefore attests, "I
think that it is not an exaggeration to say that the elaboration of the
entire body of norms in the new Instruction hinges on this principle"
(E. Baura, "L'Istruzione Erga Migrantes Caritas Christi. Profili
giuridici" in L'Osservatore Romano Italian daily edition, 10 June
2004, p. 9).
The horizon that has been revealed is truly vast. It reaches to the
very essence of the Church, the sacramentum unitatis.
"Pastoral work among migrants", therefore, "becomes a service of the
Church for the faithful whose language or culture are different from
those of the host country, while at the same time it ensures that the
foreign communities make their own contribution to the construction of a
Church that must be a sign and instrument of unity with the prospect of
a renewed humanity" (Erga Migrantes Caritas Christi, n. 89).
A new areopagus
A characteristic feature of the Instruction Erga Migrantes Caritas
Christi thus consists first and foremost in bringing into focus the
elements mentioned above, to highlight the phenomenon of migration
through the filter of the value of Revelation (salvation history) as a
"sign of the times" and a "challenge" (Part I).
The Document then clearly outlines the pastoral care of welcome (Part
II) that converges in the various paragraphs, presenting those working
in pastoral care (Part III) and the relative structures of missionary
pastoral care (Part IV).
Therefore, one of the greatest merits of the Instruction is its
assimilation of a new awareness of our changing times and consequently
of the new contexts for Gospel proclamation that are emerging.
So it is that side by side with other realities migration can also be
clearly described as a new areopagus in which people can encounter and
become acquainted with Jesus Christ and his Gospel.
The Church is thus primarily required to resume her constructive
dialogue with cultures, to prevent the "semina Verbi" from
falling on unsuitable ground and being doomed to wither and die without
bearing fruit (cf. ibid., n. 96).
People "in exodus", especially those on the move from countries not
traditionally Christian, who in ever-growing numbers leave their own
countries to arrive full of hope and illusions on the beaches of
countries with a Christian tradition, need more than others to
experience the newness of Christianity that offers the revelation of the
welcoming and merciful Face of God.
These are the urgent needs and challenges that are pressing the
Church to identify renewed and active forces for her universal mission
of dialogue and evangelization.
In fact, new shoots are sprouting. Today these include a mature and
responsible laity that is blossoming anew, eager to offer its service to
evangelization in the area of human mobility: "In a Church that strives
to be entirely missionary-ministerial, urged by the Spirit, respect for
the gifts of all must be given prominence. In this matter the lay
faithful enjoy areas of rightful autonomy, but they also take on typical
tasks of diakonia" (ibid., n. 86; cf. nn. 87-88).
A glance to the future
The Instruction Erga Migrantes Caritas Christi, therefore,
already seems to have become a milestone in ecclesial teaching on human
mobility, offering the Church a "historic opportunity to prove its four
characteristic marks" (ibid., n. 97).
This means, first of all, her unity and catholicity, which are
expressed in the harmoniously blended multiplicity and diversity of
peoples, languages, cultures and nations. The "edifice of spirit" (I Pt
2:5), the Church, which can also be compared with the relational dynamic
of the "body" (cf. Rom 12:4-5; I Cor 10:17, 12:12-27), is fulfilled
through holiness, through attaining the "perfect man" (Eph 4:13), who
manifests himself above all in the variegated and ever new expressions
of Christian charity.
This is said without overlooking the typical eschatological dimension
of the Church herself, "now toiling on her way to this final goal" (Erga
Migrantes Caritas Christi, n. 17), of which migrants' journeying can
become a "living sign" (ibid., n. 18).
These theological observations make it permissible to classify the
entire Document as an authentic expression of evangelical charity
—
hence, its title Erga Migrantes Caritas Christi
—
which the Church intends once again to express to all migrants.
Therefore, even the normative elements that run through the whole
Instruction are aimed at directing pastoral action to charity. And
precisely this afflatus charitatis has been clearly picked out by
those who have reviewed it.
The presentation of the Instruction keeps the Church's gaze focused
on the witness of charity as a privileged path for a renewed
evangelization that passes through the important stages of welcome, of
solidarity (cf. ibid., nn. 39-43) and of communion (cf. ibid.,
nn. 37; 98-99).
Likewise, there is an incisive commitment to encouraging cultural,
ecumenical and interreligious dialogue (cf. ibid., n. 100), in
connection with the themes of ethnic pluralism and the inculturation of
the faith, on which is grafted an unprecedented opportunity for the life
and mission of the Church at the beginning of the third millennium (cf.
ibid., nn. 3436), "like a standard lifted on high for the nations
to see it" (Unitatis Redintegratio, n. 2).
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