Pope Leo XIV said a “culture of reconciliation” is necessary to support more than 100 million people affected by migration and displacement across the world during his Thursday meeting with participants attending the Oct. 1–3 Migrants and Refugees in Our Common Home summit in Rome.
“Just as Pope Francis spoke of the culture of encounter as the antidote for the globalization of indifference, we must work to confront the globalization of powerlessness by fostering a culture of reconciliation,” Leo told summit participants gathered inside the Vatican’s Clementine Hall.
“In this particular way of encountering others, we ‘meet one another by healing our wounds, forgiving each other for the evil we have done and also that we have not done, but whose effects we bear,’” he said, quoting his predecessor.
“This requires patience, a willingness to listen, the ability to identify with the pain of others and the recognition that we have the same dreams and the same hopes,” he continued.
Speaking to approximately 200 people from 40 countries taking part in the three-day conference, the Holy Father encouraged participants to create “action plans” based on the four core pillars of “teaching, research, service, and advocacy” to alleviate the sufferings of those impacted by migration and displacement.
During the meeting, the Holy Father emphasized the need for concrete “gestures and policies of reconciliation,” particularly in “lands where there are deep-seated wounds from long-standing conflicts.”
“I pray that your efforts may bring about new ideas and approaches in this regard, seeking always to put the dignity of every human person at the center of any solution,” he said.
The international summit, organized by Villanova University’s Mother Cabrini Institute on Immigration, aims to bring together educational institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and local groups through a three-year initiative to sustainably respond to the needs of vulnerable communities.
In light of the Jubilee of Migrants and the Jubilee of Missions taking place over the Oct. 4-5 weekend, the Holy Father asked summit participants to integrate two themes in their action plans: “reconciliation and hope.”
“In formulating your action plans, it is also important to remember that migrants and refugees can be privileged witnesses of hope through their resilience and through their trust in God,” he said.
“I encourage you to lift up such examples of hope in the communities of those whom you serve,” he added. “In this way, they can be an inspiration for others and assist in developing ways to address the challenges that they have faced in their own lives.”
The Migrants and Refugees in Our Common Home summit is supported by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and Dicastery for Culture and Education.
This article was originally published on CNA.
