“The work that you do in these great areas – research, education and social promotion – finds its coordinates in the four actions that sum up the Church’s commitment to migrants and refugees: receiving, protecting, promoting and integrating,” Pope Francis said in his address to the participants in the conference organized by Gregorian University. Pontificate on Migrants and Education
His Holiness Pope Francis received this morning, Thursday, in the Clementina Hall in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, the participants in the conference organized by the Pontifical Gregorian University on immigrants and education. You have listened to their desire to go to school and continue their studies, even if they are uprooted from their land. I congratulate you. I would like to highlight the importance of your contribution in three areas that fall within your purview: the field of research, the field of education and the field of social promotion.
Regarding the research, Pope Francis continued, I think it is appropriate to conduct further studies on the so-called “right not to have to emigrate.” It is important to think about the causes of migration flows and the forms of violence that lead to departures for other countries. I am referring, of course, to the conflicts ravaging many regions of the world. But I would also like to highlight another type of violence, the abuse of our shared home. The planet has been weakened by the overexploitation of its resources, as well as decades of pollution. Therefore, more people are forced to leave their lands that have become uninhabitable. The academic world – and in particular the Catholic world – is called to play a leading role in providing answers to environmental challenges. On the basis of scientific data, you can contribute to illuminating the choices of rulers and directing them towards effective care of the common house.
In the field of education, the Holy Father added, I would like to thank you for your commitment to implementing programs aimed at promoting refugee education. Much has been accomplished, but much remains to be done. In this sense, it will be important that you continue to prioritize the most vulnerable. In this sense, the courses that answer their needs, the organization of distance learning courses and the allocation of scholarships that allow their transfer can be effective. By utilizing the international academic network, universities can also facilitate recognition of the educational qualifications and professional skills of migrants and refugees, for their own benefit and for the benefit of the societies that receive them. Schools and universities are special spaces not only for education, but also for meeting and inclusion. We can mature in humanity and together build we are more inclusive. In mutual readiness, fertile spaces are generated for dialogue between different visions and traditions, opening the mind to new horizons. In order to adequately respond to the new challenges of migration, there is a need for a distinct and professional formation of workers and teachers who work with migrants and refugees. Catholic universities are also called to educate their students, who will become future administrators, businessmen and culture makers, to read carefully the phenomenon of migration, from the perspective of justice, global shared responsibility and communion in diversity. Encounters with pioneers should also be promoted, so that teachers and students have the opportunity to learn about the stories of migrants, refugees, displaced persons or victims of human trafficking. The field of social promotion also sees the university as an institution that interacts with the social context in which it operates. It can contribute to defining the foundations for building a multicultural society, where ethnic, linguistic and religious diversity is considered richness and not an obstacle to a common future. Universities are also an excellent area to encourage volunteerism among young people for the benefit of refugees, asylum seekers and the most vulnerable migrants.
On the occasion of the International Day of Migrants and Refugees, which was celebrated last Sunday, the Pope continued, I called on everyone to commit to building a future with migrants and refugees. Indeed, history teaches us that the contribution of immigrants and refugees has been essential to the social and economic growth of our societies. And it still is today. Their work, their ability to sacrifice, their youth and their enthusiasm all enrich the communities that receive them. But this contribution can be even greater if it is reinforced and supported through targeted programmes. It is a matter of enormous potential, ready to express itself, if only the possibility were given to it.
Pope Francis concluded by saying, dear friends, that the work you do in these great areas – research, education and social promotion – finds its coordinates in the four actions that sum up the Church’s commitment to migrants and refugees: reception, protection, promotion and inclusion. Thus, all educational institutions are called to be places of reception, protection, promotion and integration for all, without excluding anyone. Thank you for your commitment and I hope you will take it forward and make it fruitful. I bless you with all my heart and your collaborators. I ask you please to pray for me.