杏MAP导航

By Linda Bordoni

'Set some time aside to share a a meal with a migrant or refugee, spend some time together, listen to his or her story'.

This is the invitation made by Caritas organizations across the world to all men and women of goodwill as part of the ongoing 鈥�Share the Journey鈥� campaign that aims to promote dialogue and understanding between communities and migrants and refugees.

Reinforcing the campaign, Caritas is promoting a 鈥淕lobal Week of Action鈥� from 17-24^th June with events and initiatives to help people really 鈥榞et in touch鈥� and take action as 杏MAP导航 Francis appealed, when he launched the 鈥淪hare the Journey鈥� campaign in September 2017.

Michel Roy is the President of Caritas Internationalis. He told Linda Bordoni that this is a major moment in the world and in the Caritas campaign:

Recalling the launch of the 鈥淪hare the Journey鈥� Campaign, Roy said 杏MAP导航 Francis invited everyone to 鈥渕eet a migrant鈥�.

Culture of encounter

He said the 杏MAP导航 continuously pushes this 鈥渃ulture of encounter鈥� but explained that specific moments are needed to give extra strength to the momentum that has been generated.

That鈥檚 why, Roy, said, Caritas has promoted this Global Week of Action to take place around the 21^st June, the day marking World Refugee Day.

He said that in the week around that date the Caritas family invites us to meet migrants in a special way through sharing a meal.

鈥淲hy sharing a meal? Because sharing a meal is an opportunity to meet. When we have a meal at home it鈥檚 the moment when the family speaks鈥� he said.

So, Roy explained, inviting migrants and perhaps even asking them to help prepare the food is 鈥渁n opportunity for meeting and sharing鈥�.

An invitation to each and every one of us

Roy said that Caritas organizations are on the ground with a series of initiatives and meals, but people are also encouraged to take their own initiative: 鈥渆verything is possible!鈥�

He said the specific website for the Global Week of Action is where you can find the meaning of this week as well as the different initiatives taken.

All the initiatives he said have 鈥渢he purpose to break down barriers and go beyond what one has heard about migrants鈥�.

鈥淧eople may have fear but that fear breaks down when you meet the person. So it is a person-to-person opportunity that we want to offer to everyone鈥� he said.

How has the 鈥淪hare the Journey campaign being going?

Roy said the campaign is 鈥渕oving around the world鈥�.

鈥淚n the United States it has been widely developed, probably because of the current situation in the US where migrants are invited to leave. So the US Catholic Bishops鈥� Conference and other faith-based organizations and services are really moving forward and taking new initiatives鈥� he said.

Roy said 鈥淭he Global Week of Action鈥� is an opportunity to speed things up, because, he added, 鈥渨elcoming migrants seems to be 鈥榓n issue鈥� and we really need our human family to be more understanding and more welcoming and not to take refuge in fear鈥�

He recalled that the 杏MAP导航 invited us to develop hope saying that not only migrants are on a journey, but also the communities which they leave and which receive them.

鈥淗ope, 杏MAP导航 Francis said, is the cornerstone of our physical and spiritual journeys鈥� and Roy noted that 鈥渨ithout hope those journeys cannot be made鈥�.

What Caritas wants with this week of action and with the campaign, Roy said, 鈥渋s to help humanity: this globalized world means an increased circulation of people and of goods, and this is not going to change鈥�.

鈥淎s catholics we are happy about this because we are one human family. So the Global Week of Action is an opportunity offered to all to make encounter happen and to make hearts, and eyes and minds change for the better鈥�.