Immigrants enrich host countries, says Pope Francis
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Immigrants enrich host countries, says Pope Francis

Immigrants enrich host countries, says Pope Francis

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(AGI) Vatican City, Nov 21 - Immigrants enrich host countries,Pope Francis said at the World Congress on the Pastoral Care ofMigration on Friday. "In effect, receiving nations drawadvantages from employing immigrants for production needs andnational prosperity, not infrequently filling gaps created bythe demographic crisis," he said. "In turn, the nations whichmigrants leave show a reduction in unemployment and, above all,benefit from earnings which are then sent back to meet theneeds of families who remain in the country". "Sadly, migrantsoften experience disappointment, distress and loneliness. Ineffect, the migrant worker has to deal with the problem ofbeing uprooted and needing to integrate," said the Pope. "Inthe receiving nations, we also see difficulties associated withmigrants settling in urban neighbourhoods which are alreadyproblematic, as well as their difficulties in integrating andlearning to respect the social and cultural conventions whichthey find. Turning to the Catholic Church itself, he said:"Here the Church also seeks to be a source of hope: shedevelops programmes of education and orientation; she raisesher voice in defence of migrants' rights; she offersassistance, including material assistance to everyone, withoutexception, so that all may be treated as children of God." AtFriday morning mass in Santa Marta, he said: "How often when weenter a church do we see, even today, a price list hangingthere 'for baptism, blessings, Mass intentions'. And people arescandalised. So when the Church or churches start doingbusiness, then it is said that ... salvation is not so free ...this is why Jesus takes the whip to hand to carry out this actof the purification of the Temple ... I think of how ourattitude can scandalise people with unpriestly habits in theTemple: the scandal of doing business, the scandal ofworldliness," he concluded. (AGI) . .
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