Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Aveiro (Agenzia Fides) - The pastoral operators of migration have concluded their fourteenth Assembly affirming the need to create "groups of reception and information" in the parishes, to illustrate the theme of emigration to the Portuguese. "Creating synergies among parishes, Catholic missions, associations, network of Portuguese consuls in the world, trade unions, municipalities and means that allow to report cases of labor exploitation, human trafficking and social or family precariousness" is one of the objectives set by the participants.
The meeting was held from January 17 to 19. The participants noted among other things that the migration phenomena was "almost absent from the political and ecclesial agendas in the past two decades", and today is concentrated only in its "economistic" aspect.
The note sent to Fides Agency by Ecclesia reports that representatives of 14 Portuguese dioceses and a dozen Catholic organizations involved in migration were present. Among the many topics covered: the Church has a critical role in informing those who want to emigrate; the problem of migration is not a "peripheral" problem but central and involves the whole Catholic Church; there is a person behind every number. The note concludes by underlining the invitation of the President of the Episcopal Conference of Portugal, His Exc. Mgr. Manuel José Clemente: "Every migrant should always be considered in relation to the family and to society, because one cannot separate the person from the reality that surrounds him". (CE) (Agenzia Fides 21/01/2014)
