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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. |
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