Abstract
In the past century, migration has become a widespread phenomenon that has an impact on the countries of origin, as well as on the countries of transit and destination. It is becoming a huge social problem and a particular challenge for politicians, economists, sociologists and demographers. Migration affects millions of people. It is also a problem for the Church, which serves all humanity, and which must cope with and meet all its demands in an evangelical spirit of love.
The unprecedented migration of the past year has reached dimensions previously unimaginable. Currently, we are dealing with an influx of hundreds of thousands of people from very different cultural and religious backgrounds. The migration represents an ethical and social issue as well as a pastoral challenge for the Church. This fact should encourage the Christian community to reflect on and undertake well-conceived and targeted actions. We cannot put off these issues until tomorrow.
The Church urges the faithful to stand in solidarity with the refugees. First of all, we need long-range actions aimed at eliminating the reasons of that phenomenon. It is necessary to make an effort to remove the causes of this situation. What is needed is greater international cooperation to resolve the conflicts that caused bloodshed and diminish other causes that motivated people to leave their homes. Efforts are needed to promote conditions that would allow them to remain in their homeland or, if they have already left it, to encourage them to return to it.