In
service to the men, women and children on the routes of migration .
Stéphane
Joulain M.Afr (Member of the Episcopal Committee for Migrations and Travelling
people; Member of the National Team within the National Pastoral Service to
Migrants; National Secretary of Muslim World Networking in Pastoral Service
to Migrants)
The role of the Episcopal Committee for Migrations and Travelling people, in response to Christ the Pastor and in fidelity to the Second Vatican Council, is to be a sign and the means of world unity. It is also a sign of the particularly deep concern of the Catholic Church towards the plight of the men, women and children casualties of migrations. By its way of living, the Church attempts to achieve at its core what it has as vocation, in order to send out the signal that "In the Church, no one is a stranger and the Church is a stranger to no one". (J.P. II)
Through the activities of communities (parishes, movements, services, groupings) the Church participates in giving a welcome to and defending any vulnerable person.
Pastoral
Service to Migrants seeks to help in the recognition of the rights of
Christian migrants so that they may benefit from the status to which they
are entitled within the Church (tasks of responsibility, services, training).
Pastoral Service to Migrants helps Christians on the local level, as well
as the men and women casualties of migrations, to receive jointly the same
mission on the same soil they both share. Pastoral Service to Migrants seeks
to enable the deep-rooted faith in the various traditions to come to the surface,
to be formed and celebrated, so as to unfold and spread. It also does this
by opening up Christian communities to sharing their diversity in a reciprocal
way, with a view to 'Church creation' together and living Catholicity here
and now.
The
aim of Pastoral Service to Migrants is also to make Christians aware -French
people and expatriates - of thesolidarity dimension
in co-development that passes through a certain number of things :
- Prompt Christians - French people and expatriates - to risk inter-religious dialogue and provide the means for it, so that it is of high standard and genuine.
- Assist in communicating facts about the situation of migrants, its causes and consequences on people and social groups.
- Ensure, often with others, an ecumenical and associated dimension to activities welcoming, defending, and demonstrating in favour of migrants, so they will be recognised and respected in society.
- Campaign against fear and prejudice which close off, exclude and paralyse.
- Be present and active at the 'fracture lines' of our society
- Give backing to active supporters, to Christians, and to men and women of goodwill who are active in their politically associated milieus for the dignity and advancement of the men, women and children in this country and in the world.
The
Episcopal Committee for Migrations in collaboration with several others has
just published a very interesting document on welcoming migrants. "
Quand l'Etranger frappe à nos portes " 'When the stranger knocks
at our door'. This document intends to provide tools for analysis in understanding
the new feature of migrations and to develop a Christian ethic leading to
responsible social involvement, in line with the demands of the Gospel. Three
Missionaries of Africa have participated in it. They are: Christophe Boyer,
Paul Didier, and Stéphane Joulain.
This document can be ordered from the following address:
SNPM, 269 bis rue du Faubourg St Antoine, 75011 Paris, France
or E- mail : snpmparis@wanadoo.fr
Photos (above and below): First National Meeting of Young Catholic Cambodians in France. It brought together some thirty young people who spent the weekend with Stéphane on healing memories, identity, and meeting with Christ. This is in the context of the National Pastoral Service to Migrants (Youth Focus).
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