On Sunday August 26th, we celebrate National Migrant and Refugee Sunday. Pope Francis says in his message for the 104th World Day of Migrants and Refugees: “In this regard, I wish to reaffirm that ‘our shared response may be articulated by four verbs: to welcome, to protect, to promote and to integrate.”’ We are reminded and challenged by the words of Pope Francis, quoting Pope Benedict XVI, that, we are obliged to “…always prioritise personal safety over national security.”
The Message of His Holiness Pope Francis for the 104th World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2018 can be downloaded at: http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/migration/documents/papa-francesco_20170815_world-migrants-day-2018.html
The Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office (ACMRO) for the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference has produced the Migrant & Refugee Kit, a resource kit designed to assist parishes, schools and communities to reflect and prepare for Migrant & Refugee Sunday. The Kit can be downloaded on the ACMRO website www.acmro.catholic.org.au
The Migrants and Refugee Section of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, has produced a resource booklet Towards The Global Compacts on Migrants and Refugees 2018. This booklet presents teaching, reflections and guidance of Pope Francis regarding migrants and refugees. The booklet can be downloaded at: https://www.acmro.catholic.org.au/about/church-documents-on-migration/towards-the-global-compacts-2018/858-towards-the-global-compacts-on-migrants-and-on-refugees-2018/file
