Bishop encourages Irish to welcome immigrants

January 20, 2017

Bishop John McAreavey of Dromore, the chairman of the Irish bishops’ Council for Justice & Peace, called upon fellow Irishmen to be welcoming to migrants and refugees, who are coming to Ireland “unlike any time in our history.”

“There have been many changes in Irish society but the duty to love our neighbor no matter where he or she is from is unchanged and, thankfully, unchangeable,” he said in a recent statement.

Bishop McAreavey attributed much of current migration to the “prevailing global economic model.”

“If people cannot earn enough to live a decent life in their own country then it is inevitable that many will attempt to move to places where the lowest paid job offers more hope than is possible in their own home,” he said. “When we go out to shop or wish to purchase online, we can choose to purchase ethically sourced goods that benefit the people and countries that produce them.”

 

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Further information:

• Bishop John McAreavey welcomes Pope Francis’ 2017 message for World Day of Migrants and Refugees on “child migrants, the vulnerable and the voiceless” (Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference)