Migrants and refugees are not pawns on the chessboard of humanity. They are children, women and men who leave or who are forced to leave their homes for various reasons, who share a legitimate desire for knowing and having, but above all for being more.*1
Pope Francis
Migration
Columban Missionaries are called to heal, reconcile, build bridges and create mutual understanding
through dialogue which is expressed through our solidarity with marginalized people and the exploited
Earth*2. Since 2000 the Missionary Society of St. Columban committed itself in a special way to “continue accompanying and defending the rights of migrants,” and to address the underlying causes ofthe migration of peoples.
Columban Missionaries serve economically poor and marginalized communities globally, often in countries plagued by poverty, injustice, climate disasters, armed conflict, and religious, inter-ethnic or political persecution. These conditions drive people to migrate away from their homes in search of economic and human security. We believe that we are called to both serve the needs of migrants everywhere, and to address the root causes of migration so that people and their families have the choice to remain at home.
As Columban Missionaries have migrated throughout the world to meet the needs of God’s most vulnerable people, we have witnessed the suffering of migrants. Wishing to welcome, serve, and take a stand alongside them, we have outlined the following concerns that need to be addressed in order to ensure the preservation of human dignity
*1 Pope Francis, World Day for Migrants and Refugees Message 2013
*2 Acts of the Columban 2012 General Assembly, Called to Communion, pp.7 and 13.
