EUROPE/GERMANY - How can we recognize "the migrant God" today in the history of humanity?

Stuttgart (Agenzia Fides) - In our multicultural societies the migrant is often relegated to the "poor/needy" category in the material and cultural sense or seen as an "enemy". This is how concrete attitudes are born such as indifference towards others, injustice, rejection and exclusion in the world. These are the considerations Fr. Aldo Skoda, Scalabrinian Missionary and Head of the Scalabrini International Migration Institute (SIMI) in Rome, espressed during his speech at the Scalabrini-Fest Forum held in Stuttgart from 29 September to 1 October on "How can we recognize the migrant God today in the history of humanity?".
Father Skoda emphasized that the central truth of our Christian faith - the incarnation of the Son of God - leads us instead to recognize in the other the presence of God who became man by giving every human being an inalienable dignity. This leads to attitudes of active hospitality and reception, that is to the opening and inner acceptance of each person. This Christian vision of man is the foundation of every action in defense of the dignity and rights of migrants and to promote justice and dialogue.
Among the various activities for the intercultural Christian formation, in particular of young people, the Scalabrini-Fest of Fruits for young people, adults and families of different backgrounds is organized every year by the Spirituality Center of the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart, entrusted to the Scalabrinian Missionaries (CS) in collaboration with the Scalabrini Secular Missionaries (MSS), reports Luisa Deponti MSS to Fides. The objective is to encourage peoples to meet with indigenous peoples, migrants and refugees. The Scalabrini-Fest 2017 saw the participation of 230 people from 29 countries.
In his homily during the Eucharistic celebration, Mgr. Thomas Maria Renz, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart, made reference to biblical texts as a source of inspiration for Christian life. In the Bible, the expectation of a true homeland in man and the promise of a land by God indicate the space for our faith and our journey. We therefore recognize ourselves pilgrims on this earth towards a homeland that is always beyond, the Bishop underlined.
This helps us not to close ourselves to those who are walking with us and to overcome superficial visions of man, discovering, as Jesus indicated, that the true knowledge of the other is the sharing of his existence to the point of giving our life for love, taking care of each other. The Scalabrini-Fest 2017 was the occasion to live this mutual reception starting from the experience of communion between the multiple diversity of language, culture and age present at the meeting. (LD/SL) (Agenzia Fides, 5/10/2017)

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