Welcoming Migrants Is a Way to Embrace Civil and Political Love, Says ICMC Secretary General

In an article recently published by the Center of Concern‘s blog, “Integral Voices“, ICMC Secretary General Msgr. Robert J. Vitillo recalled that welcoming refugees and migrants is yet one more way to embrace what Pope Francis referred to as “civil and political love” in the sixth chapter of the encyclical Laudato Si’.

On the occasion of the 103rd World Day of Migrants and Refugees, the Pope invited to focus on “child migrants, vulnerable and voiceless,” reminding that refugees and migrants are indeed part of the common good and “humanity’s hope”.

Following up on the Pope’s call to forge a shared sense of responsibility towards others, Msgr. Vitillo shared the story of a moving encounter with refugee children awaiting resettlement to the USA at the ICMC Resettlement Support Center in Istanbul. “As most children, they were enthusiastic and curious – they grinned from ear to ear and spoke of what they planned to do in their new homes. What impressed me most about these children, however, was their sense of hope – they could imagine a better life for themselves and their families despite the many challenges they had experienced so early in life,” he recalled.

Read the article in full on the Integral Voices website.