Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People

People on the Move

N° 105, December 2007

HOMILY AT THE Annual Meeting of European National Directors for the

Pastoral Care of  Migrants*  

Homily  

Cardinal Renato Raffaele MARTINO

President of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care

of Migrants and Itinerant People

Dear Brothers and Sisters, 

I am very pleased to be with you today to concelebrate this Holy Mass, indeed the greatest gift we could share together as a real sign of communion with all the Churches scattered all over the world. The message given to us  by the Lord, that is to say the Good News for us today, is that Jesus Christ wins over not only sin and sickness, but also over Satan. From an exegetical perspective, it is true that at that time, two thousand years ago, altered functions and illnesses such as epilepsy were considered consequences of diabolical possession. Yet, the real theological message that the Evangelist wants to convey to his audience, the message we must bear in our hearts and minds,  is that in the battle against the demons Jesus finds himself not only in front of sick people, but against the adversary of Good, against the tempter and seducer of man. And He beats him. In exorcisms, Jesus heals not only the sick, but expels the one who is the adversary of the Kingdom of God. In other words, in the battle between good and evil, Jesus is the winner over Satan.

There is no doubt, dear Brothers and Sisters, that Humanity today offers us a truly alarming spectacle, if we consider how extensively attacks on life are spreading everywhere. Yes, Satan is always at work ready to create confusion to such an extent that our times represent an era of massive attacks against innocent people, an endless series of wars and a continual taking of men and women slaughtered on the altar of human selfishness.

False prophets and false teachers have had the greatest success. Aside from intentions, which can be varied and perhaps can seem convincing at times, especially if presented in the name of solidarity, we are in fact faced by an objective "conspiracy against life", involving even international institutions, engaged in encouraging and carrying out actual campaigns to make contraception, sterilization and abortion widely available.

Even human mobility is seen as a threat, and the stranger is very often perceived as an enemy to be defeated. Nor can it be denied that the mass media are often implicated in this conspiracy, by lending credit to that culture which presents recourse to the so-called “practical materialism” as a mark of progress and a victory of freedom, while depicting as enemies of human progress those positions which are unreservedly pro-life, pro-human rights, especially towards those who live abandoned in the outskirts of humankind.

I am firmly convinced that migration is one of the most important and most complex challenges of our modern world, to such an extent that the question appears as one of the top issues in the international agenda. The Catholic Church, from this point of view, is continuously committed to promote a vision based on the central principle of respect for and the “sacredness” of the human person, to be upheld particularly when he/she is unprotected or marginalized.

This brings to light certain important theological and pastoral conclusions that need to be fostered and implemented everywhere in our communities and in civil society. These are the defense of the rights of migrants, both men and women, and their children; the question of the migrant family; the ecclesial and missionary dimension of migration; the reappraisal of the apostolate of the laity; the value of cultures in the work of evangelization; the protection and appreciation of minority groups in the Church; the importance of dialogue both inside and outside the Church; and the specific contribution of emigration to world peace.

Dear friends these are real challenges for each one of us and a great responsibility lays upon our Christian communities. The eclipse of the sense of God and of man inevitably leads, as we have already said, to a practical materialism, which breeds individualism, utilitarianism and hedonism. Here too we see the permanent validity of the words of  the Apostle we have just heard in the first reading: “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him" (1 Thess 5:11).

Dear friends, we know very well that in modern society the so-called "quality of life" is interpreted primarily or exclusively as economic efficiency, inordinate consumerism, physical beauty and pleasure, to the neglect of the more profound dimensions - interpersonal, spiritual and religious - of existence. We are convinced that inner life must grow within us so that our pastoral commitment with migrants may bear fruit, the best way to spread God’s Kingdom and defeat the Evil one! May this be our profound experience being aware that the power of Christ is granted by the Sacred Mysteries we are celebrating. May the Lord of Life fill our lives with a new faith, a lively hope, and an ever greater love. 

May God Bless you all!