The role of religion in the life of migrants, both as a personal experience, as well as in the form of organized intervention by the various churches has been documented by scholars. Although migration presents occasions for a rethinking of personal faith in different, sometimes hostile contexts, it also offers opportunities for unity and new awareness of personal, social and cultural identity.

To explore the religious dimension in the life of migrants is part of the mandate of the Scalabrini Migration Center. This website intends to be the beginning of a series of initiatives in this field, and it responds to the need for documentation, beginning with interventions of the Catholic Church.

The attention dedicated by the Catholic Church to human mobility throughout history has been extensive and variously articulated. A complete collection of citations from the various interventions of the Holy Father and other documents would be monumental. The purpose of this website is more limited: to facilitate the consultation by missionaries and pastoral workers in Asia of some of the major pronouncements of the Holy See, in particular the messages of John Paul II, the documents that guide the pastoral care of migrants, and some pastoral letters of the Churches in Asia.

Taking advantage of the opportunities offered by the Internet, we would like to encourage those who are aware of other materials to submit them for inclusion in this site.