vatican City (AsiaNews) - The Jubilee of Migrants and Refugees will be held on 17 January 2016, 102nd World Day of Migrants and Refugees. The theme Pope Francis chose of this occasion is 'Migrants and refugees challenge us. The repsonse of the Gospel of Mercy,' the Pontifical Council for the Care of Migrants and Itinerant People said in a statement released earlier today.
The theme has two parts. The first one, 'Migrants and refugees challenge us,' “draws attention to the plight of so many men and women who have been forced to abandon their lands,” the statement said. “One must not forget, for example, the ongoing tragedies at sea whose victims re migrants.”
Noting that the fact that the World Day falls within the period of the Jubilee of Mercy set by Francis in the Bull of Indiction Misericordiae Vultus (from 8 December 2015 to 20 November 2016), the press release reiterated the pontiff’s call on the world not to be overwhelmed by the indifference towards such issues. Indeed, “Faced with the obvious danger that the issue may be forgotten, the Holy Father considers the plight of migrants and refugees as a reality that must challenge us.”
The second part of the theme, the response of the Gospel of mercy, challenges especially the Church and the Christian people. Noting that welcoming strangers is one of the works of mercy, the pontiff stressed that “we should not forget that Christ himself is among the little ones, and that at the end of our life we shall be judged by our response of love."
As a disciple of Jesus, "the Church is always called ‘to proclaim liberty to those bound by new forms of slavery in modern society’ (Misericordiae vultus, n. 16), and has to deepen the relationship between justice and mercy, which are two aspects of the same reality."
Specifically, and always with an eye on the Jubilee, the Pontifical Council offered some practical suggestions, like celebrating the World Day at the diocesan and national level as close as possible to migrants and refugees; taking advantage of the Year of Mercy to organise activities in the various dioceses; and inform Christians about the issues associated with migration.
Finally, the statement noted that “concern for migrants and their situation should not be limited to a single day,” adding that “it is important to perform actual, yet symbolically relevant acts of solidarity that express closeness and care for migrants and refugees."