Let us begin in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Peace be with you!

Good morning everyone, and welcome! It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Vatican as part of your conference that has as its theme, “Refugees and Migrants in our Common Home.” I thank those who have organized these days of discussion, reflection, and collaboration, as well as each of you for your presence and for the contributions you make to this initiative.

Your time together begins a three-year project with the goal of creating “action plans” focusing on four core pillars: teaching, research, service, and advocacy. In this way, you are heeding the call of Pope Francis for academic communities to assist in meeting the needs of our displaced brothers and sisters by focusing on areas that are your competence (cf. Address to Participants in the Meeting on Refugees Promoted by the Pontifical Gregorian University, 29 September 2022).

These pillars are part of the same mission: to bring together leading voices throughout a variety of disciplines in order to respond to the current urgent challenges brought by the increasing number of people, now estimated to be over 100 million, who are affected by migration and displacement. I pray that your efforts may bring about new ideas and approaches in this regard, seeking always to put the dignity of every human person at the center of any solution. 

As you continue with your gathering, I would like to suggest two themes that you might consider integrating into your action plans: reconciliation and hope.

One of the obstacles that often arises when dealing with difficulties of such great magnitude is an attitude of indifference on the part of both institutions and individuals. My venerable predecessor spoke of the “globalization of indifference,” where we become used to the sufferings of others and no longer try to alleviate them. This can lead to what I have previously referred to as a “globalization of powerlessness” in which we risk becoming immobile, silent, perhaps sad, thinking that nothing can be done when we are faced with innocent suffering (cf. Video Message on the Occasion of the Presentation of the Candidacy of the Project “Gestures of Welcome” to the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, 12 September 2025). 

Just as Pope Francis spoke of the culture of encounter as the antidote for the globalization of indifference, we must work to confront the globalization of powerlessness by fostering a culture of reconciliation. In this particular way of encountering others, we “meet one another by healing our wounds, forgiving each other for the evil we have done and also that we have not done, but whose effects we bear” (ibid.). This requires patience, a willingness to listen, the ability to identify with the pain of others and the recognition that we have the same dreams and the same hopes. 

I would encourage you, therefore, to propose concrete ways to promote gestures and policies of reconciliation, particularly in lands where there are deep-seated wounds from long-standing conflicts. This is no easy task, but if efforts to work for lasting change are to succeed, they must include ways to touch hearts and minds.

In formulating your action plans, it is also important to remember that migrants and refugees can be privileged witnesses of hope through their resilience and through their trust in God (cf. Message for the 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees). Often they maintain their strength while seeking a better future, in spite of the obstacles that they encounter. As we prepare to celebrate the Jubilees of Migrants and of the Missions in this holy Jubilee year, I encourage you to lift up such examples of hope in the communities of those whom you serve. In this way, they can be an inspiration for others and assist in developing ways to address the challenges that they have faced in their own lives.

With these sentiments, I wish you a fruitful conference and pray that, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, you may continue to work towards finding comprehensive solutions to promote a culture of encounter, reconciliation, and fraternal solidarity for the benefit of all. I willingly impart my blessing to each of you and to all those who are part of your mission. Thank you very much.

Let us pray together as Jesus taught us: Our Father…