The Face of Mercy / Daniel Conway

Reality, dialogue, commitment needed to address migrants’ needs

Pope Francis has not been shy—or silent—in expressing his concern for the care of peoples who regrettably do not find in their countries adequate conditions of security and subsistence, and are compelled to migrate to other places.

In a recent letter to Blanca Alcalá, president of the Latin American and Caribbean Parliament, the pope congratulated Latin American leaders for their efforts to help make life more dignified for migrants and their families.

“From the title of your meeting, ‘High Level Parliamentary Dialogue on Migration in Latin America and the Caribbean: Realities and Commitments towards Global Compact,’ I would like to highlight three words, which invite reflection and work: reality, dialogue and commitment,” the pope said. Pope Francis then offered brief reflections on each of these three concepts.

“First, reality. It is important to know the reason for migration and what characteristics it presents in our continent. This requires not only analysis of this situation from ‘the study desk,’ but also in contact with people, that is to say with real faces. Behind every emigrant, there is a human being with a history of his own, with a culture and ideals. Aseptic analysis produces sterile measurements; on the other hand, a relationship with a person in the flesh helps us to perceive the deep scars that he carries with him, caused by the reason, or the unreason, of his migration.”

For Pope Francis, and for Catholic social teaching, the dignity of the individual person always comes first. Human beings are not statistics or commodities. They are not aliens or strangers, but our sisters and brothers all made in God’s image and likeness. The pope urged Latin American leaders to ensure that all agreements and security measures are examined from direct experience, observing whether or not they conform to reality. “As members of a large family,” the pope said, “we must work to place the ‘person’ at the center,” and to ensure that a person “is not a mere number or an abstract entity, but a brother or sister who needs our help and a friendly hand.”

The second concept Pope Francis speaks about is “dialogue.”

“Dialogue is indispensable in this work. One cannot work in isolation; we all need each other. We have to be capable of leaving behind a throwaway culture and embracing one of encounter and acceptance. Joint collaboration is necessary to develop efficient and equitable strategies for the reception of refugees.

“Achieving a consensus between the parties is a craft, a meticulous, almost imperceptible task, but essential for shaping agreements and regulations. All elements must be offered to local governments as well as to the international community in order to develop the best pacts for the good of the many, especially those who suffer in the most vulnerable areas of our planet.

“Dialogue is essential to foster solidarity with those who have been deprived of their fundamental rights, as well as to increase willingness to accommodate those who flee from dramatic and inhuman situations.”

The pope is not in a position to work out the details of agreements among nations and peoples about the treatment of migrants, but he insists that such “agreements and regulations” cannot be crafted in humane ways that serve the common good unless migrants are seen as human beings with faces and unless genuine dialogue takes place.

Finally, Pope Francis reflected on “commitment” as the third essential concept.

“In order to respond to the needs of migrants, commitment is needed from all parties. The problem of migration in Latin American and throughout the world is serious. We cannot dwell on the detailed analysis and the debate of ideas, but the work is enormous, and we need men and women of good will who, with their concrete commitment, can respond to this ‘cry’ that rises from the heart of the migrant. We cannot close our ears to their call.”

Pope Francis’ letter urges national governments to assume their responsibilities to all those residing in their territories, and reaffirms the commitment of the universal Church, through the presence of the local and regional Churches, “to responding to this wound that many brothers and sisters of ours carry with them.”

Finally, the pope implored the intercession of the Holy Virgin. “May she, who also experienced migration in the flight to Egypt with her family, keep and sustain you with her maternal care.”
 

(Daniel Conway is a member of The Criterion’s editorial committee.) †