Deepening the synodal experience
September 26, 2024
Mr Puddles’, the church escort
September 26, 2024

We’re walking together

Rear view of group of school friends walking outdoors lifestyle

In his message for the 110th World Day of Migrants and Refugees being marked this Sunday, Pope Francis emphasised the calling of the Church to be a “synodal” or journeying community, mirroring the biblical narrative of the Israelites’ Exodus and the ongoing plight of migrants and refugees today.

The Pope drew parallels between the Israelites’ flight from oppression toward the Promised Land, and the journeys of hope undertaken by countless migrants and refugees seeking safety and opportunity around the world.

Whether it’s the Rohingya fleeing Myanmar, Venezuelans escaping economic and political crises, or sub-Saharan Africans braving the perilous Mediterranean crossing, the Pope affirmed that God walks with today’s migrants and refugees as their “travelling companion, guide and anchor of salvation.”

Highlighting the Church’s “itinerant nature” as a pilgrim people on the move, the Pope stated that every encounter with a migrant or refugee is an encounter with Christ Himself.

Reflecting on the Final Judgment in Matthew 25, he stated that “the poor save us, because they enable us to encounter the face of the Lord” in those in need – whether it’s the Syrian family resettling in Canada, the Central American father seeking asylum at the US border, or the Filipino domestic worker in the Middle East.

The Pope’s message called on Catholics to journey together with migrants and refugees, to be a “synodal” Church that listens, dialogues and walks alongside the most vulnerable.

He entrusted this mission of solidarity to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whom he described as “a sign of sure hope and consolation to the faithful People of God as they continue their journey.”

Mary’s own experience as a refugee, fleeing with the infant Jesus to Egypt, makes her a powerful intercessor for migrants seeking safety and belonging.

In a time of growing global displacement, with a record 89.3 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, the Pope’s words challenged the faithful to cultivate an expansive sense of belonging that transcends national borders and temporary earthly dwellings.

Reflecting on the Church’s identity as a pilgrim people, the Pope urged Catholics to recognise that “our true citizenship is in Heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Just as the Israelites dwelled temporarily in the wilderness before reaching the Promised Land, the Pope said the faithful are called to see themselves as foreigners and exiles on Earth, with their ultimate home being the eternal Kingdom of God.

This perspective stands in stark contrast to the rising tide of nativism, xenophobia and “my country first” mentalities that have fuelled anti-immigrant sentiment in many parts of the world.

The Pope asked Catholics to resist the temptation to become “possessive” of their portion of the world, clinging jealously to their national, ethnic or cultural identities at the expense of solidarity with the displaced.

Instead, the Pope urged faithful to keep walking together with migrants and refugees, seeing them not as threats, but as fellow travellers on the journey toward the heavenly abode God has prepared.

By cultivating this expansive, pilgrim identity, the Pope said Catholics can better embody the merciful, welcoming love of Christ – who Himself was a refugee, fleeing persecution as a child.

In doing so, the Church can become a powerful witness to the world of the unity, compassion and true belonging that is found in the eternal Kingdom, even as we dwell temporarily in this world.

Through this message, Pope Francis continues to position the Catholic Church as a prophetic voice, calling the faithful to welcome the stranger, to see the face of Christ in the migrant, and to journey in solidarity toward the heavenly Kingdom.