This press release comes from the website of the Council of Bishops' Conferences of Europe. It follows the CCEE's meeting on Migration.
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Malaga Message
Following an invitation by the “Migration” Commission of the Council of Bishops´ Conferences of Europe (CCEE), a number of Bishops appointed by the Bishops´ Conferences of Europe, National Directors for the pastoral care of migrants, the President of the Council for the Pastoral care for Migrants and Itinerant people, Catholic organizations and a number of guests belonging to ecumenical bodies gathered in Malaga, Spain, from 27 April to 1 May 2010. We come from around twenty European Countries, from the North and the South, the East and the West. As the Congress draws to a close, we wish to share our reflections and beliefs with all those engaged in issues pertaining to migration.
1. During this Congress we have gained awareness once more of the dimension of migration in Europe. To date, we register the figure of 34 million immigrants, including 12 million internal migrants coming from the Countries of the European Union.
Our goal is to bear witness to the fact that it is indeed possible to consider the presence of immigrants in Europe and an asset for the present and the future. We note that in many Countries migrants bring a positive contribution - and not merely in economic terms - to those societies who are able to welcome them and foster the appropriate environment for a true “life together”.
Aside from the figures we have reflected on, we also register the burden of suffering, poverty and disenheartenment that migrants carry. We also acknowledge that their presence awakens fear in the European public opinion, and that this often leads to an attitude of closure and xenophobia, compounded by the financial crisis currently underway. The response to these emerging fears is a range of restrictive policies which interact with the mainstream mindset. Though we are aware of this perception in European citizens, we have tried to single out some means to help them overcome such fears.
2. Cultural pluralism is today an unescapable feature of our societies. We are adamant that cultural pluralism does not necessarily lead to a form of relativism which denies our own identity, or on the other hand to a form of assimilation engendering relations based on coercion and violent reactions between groups of people. This pluralist predicament can be managed in a positive way through tools such as mutual encounter and inter-cultural dialogue. To reach this goal we need a shared meeting space. The latter cannot be configured as a dominant culture imposing its presence through force, but as a human experience, along with those universal elements this entails. As we engage in this process together, we become able to accept our differences in the desire for a shared future of humanity, one of living together according to the plan of God the Creator.
3. The Catholic Church in its entirety, with all Her traditions and different rites, brings Her contribution to the service of the human family, both in Europe and beyond. We believe that the Gospel of Christ maintains today all its momentum as an appeal to peoples to overcome fear and all forms of closure, as put forward by the social doctrine of the Church and the magisterium of the Popes. We are particularly grateful to Pope Benedict XVI for his encyclical letter Caritas in Veritate, and we support him in his mission. The Church believes that men and women can be open to the transcendent, to a “beyond” inviting them to overcome the barriers of difference in order to build and open brotherhood and ever increasing forms of solidarity.
We believe we are not alone in the mission we have chosen to embark on, as we work for the unity of the human family. A great number of men and women are working side by side with us. We Christians believe in a special way that the Spirit, Who is communion of love in God the Trinity, is constantly active in gathering all human beings of this planet.
4. Our reflections have shown us three areas where we feel we can build the fraternity we wish to serve in the Gospel´s name:
- the family, as the basic unit of society. For migrants, it plays a crucial role with regard to integration, as it ensures a safe environment of affective stability to all its members. It preserves and transmits cultural traditions and guarantees harmonious relations among generations. The Church never tires of reiterating the importance of the family as a fundamental right for every migrant person.
- Ecclesial communities, which are invited to enhance their ability to welcome our brothers and sisters coming from different cultural and religious landscapes. Bishops, parishes and Catholic movements can become a prophetic sign for societies called to promote inter-cultural dialogue. Catholicity is an essential characteristic of the Church and as such, must be the concern of all the faithful in Christ. Christians participate in the sacramental visibility of the work of God: A sacrament of unity, the Church overcomes barriers and ideological or racial divisions.
- Society, which is under the obligation of managing migration. The latter is a complex reality, in that it includes cultural, economic, juridical, social and religious aspects. All nations should engage in the development of a just framework so that human dignity may be respected. It is furthermore necessary that the international community commits to reducing the causes generating forced migration, so that this may be transformed into an option. Society should, on the other hand, also learn to highlight the positive aspects of human mobility.
5. In conclusion, we call upon you, our migrant brothers and sisters in Europe, and particularly on those living in precarious conditions. We welcome you because we believe that every human being has the right to be received. We do not dwell on your origin, your religion or your culture: you are valued and loved by God. We all have gifts to exchange with one another.
Those who are working side by side with you are well aware that you also know about fear, uncertainty and precariousness, and sometimes you feel exasperated by these.
We wish to confirm our sentiments of fraternity one more time, as well as our solidarity with regard to your desire to lead a more human and dignified life for yourselves and those you hold dear.
We reject any kind of debate on exclusion, and state our intention to build the future of Europe together.
Do not be discouraged. We share your hope in the future. Our faith in Christ is the foundation of our hope in what is to come. And which cannot be built without you.
Malaga, 30 April 2010
