Sunday, September 25, will mark the 108th World Day of Migrants and Refugees.
The Holy Father has chosen "Building the future with migrants and refugees"1 for this year’s theme. In his annual message, he focuses on the commitment to which we are all called: to build a future according to God's plan which excludes no one, given that every human being is created in his image.

In a world deeply afflicted by the pandemic and humanitarian crises both old and new, Pope Francis strongly reaffirms our shared responsibility to build a future that corresponds ever more fully to God's plan: a future of justice and peace - the Kingdom of God, which begins in this world, to be fulfilled in eternity. The future must be built together with migrants and refugees, the Pope emphasizes, and with all those living on the “existential peripheries” who have been left behind and marginalized, leaving no one excluded. This inclusivity is necessary – a sine qua non condition - "for without them, it would not be the Kingdom that God wants." 

"Building with" migrants and refugees also means recognizing and promoting their contribution to this process of construction, for only in this way will it be possible to build a world that ensures the conditions for integral human development for all. 

The Holy Father emphasizes that the presence of migrants and refugees also opens possibilities for cultural and spiritual growth in the communities that welcome them. "Through them, we are given the opportunity to learn more about the world and the beauty of its diversity better.” Encountering and getting to know one another helps us grow in our humanity and opens our minds to new insights and perspectives.

Building the future requires that we consider the other, free of prejudice and with kindness. The Pope firmly insists that this perspective can be an opportunity for growth for all. He invites us to let go of the notion of mere acceptance and to lean more towards a Gospel-based approach of universal brotherhood, in which we consider the other as a brother or sister in Christ, a person with whom I am called to walk.

We are called to see one another as more than just people who welcome and who are welcomed, but as brothers and sisters whom we must love, while learning to make cultural, religious or social diversity a great opportunity for growth in humanity.

Prayer

Lord, make us bearers of hope,
so that where there is darkness,
your light may shine,
and where there is discouragement,
confidence in the future may be reborn.

Lord, make us instruments of your justice,
so that where there is exclusion, fraternity may flourish,
and where there is greed, a spirit of sharing may grow.

Lord, make us builders of your Kingdom,
together with migrants and refugees
and with all who dwell on the peripheries.

Lord, let us learn how beautiful it is
to live together as brothers and sisters. Amen.
 

Rome, Saint John Lateran, May 9, 2022

^{1 Message of his Holiness Pope Francis
for the 108th World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2022
(September 25, 2022) Building the Future with Migrants and Refugees}