Your Eminence, Excellencies, Monsignors, reverend fathers, sisters, dear colleagues; allow me to first of all express gratitude for this opportunity to exchange with you on one of the major global challenges. The International Catholic Migration Commission will soon celebrate its 60th anniversary of commitment to migrants and it is obvious that growing mobility and the many challenges related to this mobility call today, more than ever, for reflection, overcoming first fears and intensified collaboration between all Church and society actors.

The world faces two fundamental challenges today: the challenge of global resources and the challenge of global mobility.

Both challenges call for justice and equity as much as for management and order. The responsive processes for these challenges and their interconnection will determine the future of human societies. It indeed takes a healthy mixture of moral responsibility and orderly systems and procedures to guarantee a societal future offering dignity and freedom to every human person. Nor will any attempt to consider the future solely from a material or economic focused viewpoint deliver sufficiently adequate answers. “The necessary distinction between morality and the economy does not entail the separation of these two spheres but, on the contrary, an important reciprocity.”

Until the fall of the Berlin wall, it was believed that ideological oppositions prevented the creation of a better world but today, more than 20 years later, the new world is still late in building equitable development. It has indeed become obvious that many other factors, proper to human nature and to the concepts of belonging to one or another group, instance or identity, continue to be stumbling blocks in this building process. In other words, human solidarity and ethical reflection still need to be given a more predominant place in further shaping our world; migration is just another, yet very strong and compelling invitation to walk this road. The concept of welcoming the stranger is today demanding major efforts of all societies. The level of commitment of Churches, faith-based organisations and institutions as well as of all faithful may well prove to be of decisive importance.

Considering the levels of responsibility is first about getting a clear picture of facts and then about developing ways to respond, with the aim to constructively interact and successfully impact. Taking part in the many societal processes—as yeast in the dough—is part of the Christian identity and mission. The Church’s essential role is to accompany mankind to its destination; its responsibility is therefore linked to all daily processes that lead to every person’s integral fulfillment. This calls for a theological dimension , for clear analysis, for courage and for discernment in action.

This presentation intends to focus on some aspects of the societal processes related to or generated by migration, which are often considered to destabilize existing societal and global balances and therefore fuelling fears. I will subsequently try to focus on some of the related Christian responsibilities and highlight possible strategic paths of commitment.

To read the statement in its entirety, please see the pdf document below.

CCEE Presentation by Johan Ketelers (486.67 KB)