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On Migrants and Family
“The starting point for addressing the problem of migration
is recognizing the unity of the human family. Migration constitutes
one of the most complex challenges of our globalized world. The
human and ecclesial starting points the affirmation of equality
among persons -- completely beyond questions of ethnicity, language
and origin -- and the unity of the human family."
Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, secretary of the Pontifical Council
for Migrants and Travelers, shared these words during his talk entitled
"Human Rights and the Dignity of Migrants in the Age of Globalization"
during the symposium sponsored by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation
in cooperation with the Community Sant'Egidio with the theme "Human
Dignity and Human Rights in the Time of Globalization".
During his talk, the archbishop explained the reason behind the
Church "extremely attentive" to the welcoming and pastoral
care of migrants not forgetting that the phenomenon of migration
also carries with it "a complex mix of duties and rights, the
first of which is the right to migratory relocation.
He further explained that the right of governments to handle migration
must, for its part provide clear and viable measures for regular
entrance into the country, oversee the labor market to prevent the
exploitation of migrant workers, enact measures for regular integration,
combat xenophobic behavior, and promote the social, cultural and
religious coexistence that every pluralistic society demands. The
government must also correspond to its duty/right to guarantee lawfulness,
punish criminal behavior and delinquency and deal with people in
irregular situations," but always doing so "with respect
for human dignity, human rights and international agreements.
Archbishop Marchetto further explained that the safeguarding of
human dignity highlights the necessity of a specific pastoral care
for first and second generation migrants that should consider respect
for the use of the mother tongue in catechesis, preaching and the
administration of the sacraments, attention to the particular demands
of popular piety, and the assignment of expressly designated missionaries.
The pastoral structures must guarantee a progressive process of
active integration into the local Church, that overcomes, on the
one hand, the temptations of 'religious colonization' and total
assimilation, and avoids, on the other hand, the formation of a
ghetto.
Along with pastoral care, adequate social, civil and political interventions
must not be lacking, said Archbishop Marchetto. He added that migration
almost obliges us to put the human person at the center for the
sake of a profitable development of the whole family of peoples
and nations, urging priorities and precise criteria for intervention.
“There is a need to improve society's level of 'humanism,'
renewing the culture and education in its many ramifications. From
this perspective the knowledge of various ethnic groups and their
cultures is seen as an obligatory step that should be inserted into
educational programs and catechesis. The structures for the pastoral
care of migrants need to value occasions of meeting and dialogue,
that can help to improve interpersonal relations and also favor
a more complete and convinced witness to the evangelical message.
Toward this end it is necessary to emphasize "formation, especially
of young people, but also of leaders of groups and communities,"
the archbishop pointed out.
Archbishop Marchetto also added that dialogue between persons, communities,
peoples, cultures, religions and ethnic groups is urgent today and
is the secret of the future because closure and intolerance come
from making ourselves and our own group into idols.
In conclusion, Archbishop Marchetto stated that to have a positive
and lasting effect, globalization must be founded on a vision of
the human person that responds to Christian criteria that are profoundly
human, totally beyond materialist and atheist ideologies, which
are wedded to relativism, and in the end relativize the fundamental
dignity of every human person.
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| LIVES
OF THE SAINTS |
SEPTEMBER 1
ST. GILES
St. Giles was born in Athens, Greece, in early times. When his parents died, he used the large fortune they left him to help the poor. 
SEPTEMBER 2
BLESSED JOHN DU LAU AND THE SEPTEMBER MARTYRS
Blessed John was the archbishop of Arles, France..
SEPTEMBER 3
ST. GREGORY THE GREAT
St. Gregory was born in 540 in Rome. His father was a senator. His mother is a saint, St. Celia.
SEPTEMBER 4
ST. ROSE OF VITERBO
St. Rose was born in 1235 in Viterbo, Italy. She lived at the time when Emperor Frederick had conquered land that belonged to the Church.
SEPTEMBER 5
ST. LAWRENCE JUSTINIAN
St. Lawrence Justinian was born in Venice, Italy, in 1381.
SEPTEMBER 6
BLESSED BERTRAND
Blessed Bertrand lived in the last half of the twelfth and first part of the thirteenth centuries.
SEPTEMBER 7
BLESSED JOHN DUCKETT AND BLESSED RALPH CORBY
Blessed James Duckett studied at the English college of Douay and became a priest in 1639.
SEPTEMBER 8
BIRTH OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
We do not usually celebrate the birthdays of the saints.
SEPTEMBER 9
ST. PETER CLAVER
St. Peter Claver, the Spanish priest of the Society of Jesus was born in 1580.
SEPTEMBER 10
ST. NICHOLAS OF TOLENTINO
St. Nicholas was born in 1245 in Ancona, Italy. His parents had waited long and anxiously for a child.
SEPTEMBER 11
BLESSED LOUIS OF THURINGIA
Blessed Loius, the German prince, lived during the last part of the twelfth and first part of the thirteenth centuries.
SEPTEMBER 13
ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
St. John Chrysostom was born in Antioch around 344.
SEPTEMBER 15
OUR LADY OF SORROWS
Our Lady had many great joys as the mother of Jesus, but she had much to suffer, too.
SEPTEMBER 16
ST. CORNELIUS AND ST. CYPRIAN
St. Cornelius, a holy priest of Rome, was elected Pope in 251. He accepted because he loved Christ.
SEPTEMBER 17
ST. ROBERT BELLARMINE
St. Robert Bellarmine was born in Italy in 1542.
SEPTEMBER 18
ST. JOSEPH OF CUPERTINO
St. Joseph was born on June 17, 1603, in a small Italian village to poor parents.
SEPTEMBER 19
ST. JANUARIUS
St. Januarius lived in the fourth century. He was born either in Benevento or Naples, Italy.
SEPTEMBER 20
ST. ANDREW KIM TAEGON AND ST. PAUL CHONG HASANG
St. Andrew Kim Taegon was a priest and St. Paul Chong Hasang was a lay person.
SEPTEMBER 21
ST. MATTHEW
St. Matthew was a tax collector in the city of Capernaum, where Jesus was living.
SEPTEMBER 22
ST. THOMAS OF VILLANOVA
St. Thomas was born in Spain in 1488.
SEPTEMBER 24
ST. PACIFICUS
St. Pacificus, a little Italian boy born in 1653 was named Charles Anthony. He was just five years old when his loving parents died.
SEPTEMBER 25
ST. SERGIUS
St. Serguis, the famous Russian saint lived in the fourteenth century.
SEPTEMBER 27
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL
St. Vincent de Paul, the son of poor French peasants, was born in 1581.
SEPTEMBER 28
ST. LAWRENCE RUIZ AND COMPANIONS
St. Lawrence Ruiz, and his fifteen companions were killed for their faith in 1637, in Nagasaki, Japan.
SEPTEMBER 29
ST. MICHAEL, ST. GABRIEL, ST. RAPHAEL
Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are called "saints" because they are holy.
SEPTEMBER 30
ST. JEROME
St. Jerome was a Roman Christian who lived in the fourth century.
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PHOTO OF THE MONTH |
Tour
of the Relics of the Passion
(International Center
for Holy Relics)
www.HolyRelics.org
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| REFLECTIONS |
 “Jesus’
Baptism”
Why did Jesus, the sinless one sent from the Father in heaven,
submit himself to John’s baptism? John preached a
baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Luke
3:3). In this humble submission we see a foreshadowing of
the “baptism” of Jesus bloody death upon the
cross. Jesus’ baptism is the acceptance and the beginning
of his mission as God’s suffering Servant (Isaiah
52:13-15; 53:1-12). He allowed himself to be numbered among
sinners. Jesus submitted himself entirely to his Father’s
will. Out of love he consented to this baptism of death
for the remission of our sins. Do you know the joy of trust
and submission to God?
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