Vatican official: through migrants, Christ knocks at the door
May 13, 2011
Preaching at a Mass in Sydney, the president of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People said that Christ knocks at the door of societies in the person of the migrant.
Reflecting on Christ’s words in the Book of Revelation (“Behold, I stand at the door and knock”), Archbishop Antonio Maria Vegliò said that“Jesus stands still in front of the door and, after knocking, he waits for the door to be opened. Many migrants and refugees, once they reach the country of their destination, stop at the door of the local people.”
The prelate distinguished illegal from legal immigration, adding:
What will be the reaction of those who are usually inside the house, safe, sheltered, with the assurance of being able to take advantage of goods and resources? That door can remain shut, also in order to defend customs, traditions, mentalities as well as prejudices, fears. Or, it can be an open door, that becomes welcoming and hospitable, and yet respecting justice and truth. Applied to the phenomenon of the human mobility, that does not surely mean fostering illegality, but promoting human dignity with a special attention to the legitimate search for safety and legality.
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