VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 170
DATE 01-10-2015

Summary:
- Francis praises the great spiritual and missionary heritage of the Comboni
Missionaries of the Sacred Heart
- Migrants and refugees challenge us: the response of the Gospel of mercy
- Presentation of the Pope's message for World Day of Migrants and Refugees:
"Emigration is not the juxtaposition of cultures, but rather an encounter of
peoples"
- Decrees for the Causes of Saints
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts

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 Francis praises the great spiritual and missionary heritage of the Comboni
Missionaries of the Sacred Heart
 Vatican City, 1 October 2015 (VIS) - The Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of
Jesus attending their general chapter were received in audience by the Holy
Father in the Clementine Hall this morning. In his address to them, Francis
spoke about the words that define their name and identity.
 As missionaries, the Combonians are "servants and messengers of the Gospel,
especially for those who do not know it or have forgotten it", said the Pope.
"At the root of this, the personal relationship with Christ ... determines all
of
our existence and action; and it is experienced and nurtured above all in
prayer, in staying by the Lord's side. ... In this prayerful space we encounter
the true treasure we give to our brethren through proclamation. Indeed, the
missionary is the servant of God Who speaks, Who wishes to speak to today's men
and women, just as Jesus spoke to those of His time. ... In the Word of God
there
is the wisdom that comes from above, and that enables us to find the languages,
approaches and tools suited to responding to the challenges of a changing
humanity".
 As Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus, you contribute joyfully to the
mission of the Church, bearing witness to the charism of St. Daniel Comboni,
characterised by the merciful love of Christ's Heart for the defenceless. In
this Heart there is the source of the mercy that saves and generates hope.
Therefore, as you are consecrated to God for the mission, you are called upon
to
imitate the merciful and mild Jesus, to live your service with a humble heart,
caring for the most abandoned of our time. ... From that Heart you learn the
necessary meekness to carry out your apostolic action even in difficult and
hostile contexts. This heart, that so loved humanity, drives you to the
peripheries of society to bear witness to the perseverance of patient and
faithful love".
 Finally, the Pope expresses to the missionaries his hope that this general
chapter might illuminate the path of the Institute in the coming years, helping
it to "continually rediscover its great heritage of spirituality and missionary
activity. In this way you are able to trustfully continue your valuable
contribution to the mission of the Church. May you be inspired and encouraged
by
the example of many of your brethren, who have given their lives for the cause
of the Gospel, willing even to offer the supreme witness of blood. Indeed, it
is
well known that the Combonian Institute is distinguished by an uninterrupted
chain of martyrs, up to our times. They are a fruitful seed in spreading God's
Kingdom, and protectors of your apostolic efforts".

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 Migrants and refugees challenge us: the response of the Gospel of mercy
 Vatican City, 1 October 2015 (VIS) - "Migrants and refugees challenge us: the
response of the Gospel of mercy" is the title of the Holy Father's message for
World Day of Migrants and Refugees, to be held on 17 January 2016. The
document,
the full text of which is given below, was signed in the Vatican on 12
September, memorial of the Holy Name of Mary.
 "Dear Brothers and Sisters, in the Bull of indiction of the Extraordinary
Jubilee of Mercy I noted that 'at times we are called to gaze even more
attentively on mercy so that we may become a more effective sign of the
Father's
action in our lives'. God's love is meant to reach out to each and every
person.
Those who welcome the Father's embrace, for their part, become so many other
open arms and embraces, enabling every person to feel loved like a child and
'at
home' as part of the one human family. God's fatherly care extends to everyone,
like the care of a shepherd for his flock, but it is particularly concerned for
the needs of the sheep who are wounded, weary or ill. Jesus told us that the
Father stoops to help those overcome by physical or moral poverty; the more
serious their condition, the more powerfully is His divine mercy revealed.
 In our time, migration is growing worldwide. Refugees and people fleeing from
their homes challenge individuals and communities, and their traditional ways
of
life; at times they upset the cultural and social horizons which they
encounter.
Increasingly, the victims of violence and poverty, leaving their homelands, are
exploited by human traffickers during their journey towards the dream of a
better future. If they survive the abuses and hardships of the journey, they
then have to face latent suspicions and fear. In the end, they frequently
encounter a lack of clear and practical policies regulating the acceptance of
migrants and providing for short or long term programmes of integration
respectful of the rights and duties of all. Today, more than in the past, the
Gospel of mercy troubles our consciences, prevents us from taking the suffering
of others for granted, and points out way of responding which, grounded in the
theological virtues of faith, hope and charity, find practical expression in
works of spiritual and corporal mercy.
 In the light of these facts, I have chosen as the theme of the 2016 World Day
of Migrants and Refugees, 'Migrants and refugees challenge us: the response of
the Gospel of mercy'. Migration movements are now a structural reality, and our
primary issue must be to deal with the present emergency phase by providing
programmes which address the causes of migration and the changes it entails,
including its effect on the make-up of societies and peoples. The tragic
stories
of millions of men and women daily confront the international community as a
result of the outbreak of unacceptable humanitarian crises in different parts
of
the world. Indifference and silence lead to complicity whenever we stand by as
people are dying of suffocation, starvation, violence and shipwreck. Whether
large or small in scale, these are always tragedies, even when a single human
life is lost.
 Migrants are our brothers and sisters in search of a better life, far away
from
poverty, hunger, exploitation and the unjust distribution of the planet's
resources which are meant to be equitably shared by all. Don't we all want a
better, more decent and prosperous life to share with our loved ones?
 At this moment in human history, marked by great movements of migration,
identity is not a secondary issue. Those who migrate are forced to change some
of their most distinctive characteristics and, whether they like or not, even
those who welcome them are also forced to change. How can we experience these
changes not as obstacles to genuine development, rather as opportunities for
genuine human, social and spiritual growth, a growth which respects and
promotes
those values which make us ever more humane and help us to live a balanced
relationship with God, others and creation?
 The presence of migrants and refugees seriously challenges the various
societies which accept them. Those societies are faced with new situations
which
could create serious hardship unless they are suitably motivated, managed and
regulated. How can we ensure that integration will become mutual enrichment,
open up positive perspectives to communities, and prevent the danger of
discrimination, racism, extreme nationalism or xenophobia?
 Biblical revelation urges us to welcome the stranger; it tells us that in so
doing, we open our doors to God, and that in the faces of others we see the
face
of Christ Himself. Many institutions, associations, movements and groups,
diocesan, national and international organisations are experiencing the wonder
and joy of the feast of encounter, sharing and solidarity. They have heard the
voice of Jesus Christ: 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock'. Yet there
continue to be debates about the conditions and limits to be set for the
reception of migrants, not only on the level of national policies, but also in
some parish communities whose traditional tranquillity seems to be threatened.
 Faced with these issues, how can the Church fail to be inspired by the example
and words of Jesus Christ? The answer of the Gospel is mercy.
 In the first place, mercy is a gift of God the Father who is revealed in the
Son. God's mercy gives rise to joyful gratitude for the hope which opens up
before us in the mystery of our redemption by Christ's blood. Mercy nourishes
and strengthens solidarity towards others as a necessary response to God's
gracious love, 'which has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit'.
Each of us is responsible for his or her neighbour: we are our brothers' and
sisters' keepers, wherever they live. Concern for fostering good relationships
with others and the ability to overcome prejudice and fear are essential
ingredients for promoting the culture of encounter, in which we are not only
prepared to give, but also to receive from others. Hospitality, in fact, grows
from both giving and receiving.
 From this perspective, it is important to view migrants not only on the basis
of their status as regular or irregular, but above all as people whose dignity
is to be protected and who are capable of contributing to progress and the
general welfare. This is especially the case when they responsibly assume their
obligations towards those who receive them, gratefully respecting the material
and spiritual heritage of the host country, obeying its laws and helping with
its needs. Migrations cannot be reduced merely to their political and
legislative aspects, their economic implications and the concrete coexistence
of
various cultures in one territory. All these complement the defence and
promotion of the human person, the culture of encounter, and the unity of
peoples, where the Gospel of mercy inspires and encourages ways of renewing and
transforming the whole of humanity.
 The Church stands at the side of all who work to defend each person's right to
live with dignity, first and foremost by exercising the right not to emigrate
and to contribute to the development of one's country of origin. This process
should include, from the outset, the need to assist the countries which
migrants
and refugees leave. This will demonstrate that solidarity, cooperation,
international interdependence and the equitable distribution of the earth's
goods are essential for more decisive efforts, especially in areas where
migration movements begin, to eliminate those imbalances which lead people,
individually or collectively, to abandon their own natural and cultural
environment. In any case, it is necessary to avert, if possible at the earliest
stages, the flight of refugees and departures as a result of poverty, violence
and persecution.
 Public opinion also needs to be correctly formed, not least to prevent
unwarranted fears and speculations detrimental to migrants.
 No one can claim to be indifferent in the face of new forms of slavery imposed
by criminal organisations which buy and sell men, women and children as forced
labourers in construction, agriculture, fishing or in other markets. How many

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