VATICAN - The Pope addresses the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People: “We must not forget that the family, migrant and itinerant families included, represents the original cell of society that must not be destroyed, but courageously and patiently defended.”

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - “The Church's solicitude toward emigrant families does not diminish her concern for itinerant families. On the contrary, this effort to maintain a unity between vision and action between the two ‘wings’ (migration and itinerants) of human mobility can help understand the vast scope of the problem and be, at the same time, a motivation for all in this specific area of pastoral care.” This was affirmed by the Holy Father Benedict XVI in an audience he held this morning, May 15, with participants of the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People.
In his address, the Pope recalled his recent visit to the United States of America, where he encourage this great country to “continue in its commitment to receive those brothers and sisters who arrive there, usually from poorer countries,” and his Message from the 93rd World Day of Migrants and Refugees, dedicated to the theme of the migrant family. “On more than one occasion, I have presented the icon of the Holy Family as the model for the migrant family,” Benedict XVI affirmed, “referring to the image proposed by my venerable Predecessor, Pope Pius XII, in the Apostolic Constitution Exsul Famiglia...In addition, in the Messages from 1980, 1986, and 1993, my venerable Predecessor John Paul II wished to focus on the Church’s commitment in favor not only of the migrant person, but of his family as well, a community of love and factor for integration.”
“We must not forget,” the Pope continued, “that the family, migrant and itinerant families included, represents the original cell of society that must not be destroyed, but courageously and patiently defended. It represents the community in which, from infancy, we are formed to adore and love God, learning the grammar of human and moral values, and discovering how to make good use of freedom in truth. Unfortunately, in no small number of situations this is difficult to achieve, and especially in cases of people affected by the phenomenon of human mobility.”
The Holy Father later explained the profound bond between the Sacraments of Holy Eucharist and Matrimony: “In their daily lives, couples must draw inspiration for their behavior from the example of Christ who 'loved the Church and gave himself up for her.’ This supreme gesture of love is presented anew in each celebration of the Eucharist; and it is appropriate for the pastoral care of families to refer back to this sacramental fact as a reference point of fundamental importance. People who go to Mass -- and the celebration of Mass must also be facilitated for migrants and itinerant peoples -- find in the Eucharist a powerful allusion to their own family, their own marriage; and they are encouraged to live their lives from the point of view of faith, seeking in divine grace the strength to succeed in doing so.”
The Holy Father concluded saying, “human mobility represents, in today's globalized world, an important frontier for new evangelization,” and in this sense, encouraged those present, telling them to “continue your pastoral commitment with renewed zeal,” and assuring them of his prayers. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 15/5/2008; righe 40, parole 522)