Italy
The celebration of the World Day of Migrants and Refugees renewed the urgent call to look with clear eyes upon the tragedies of our era. Amidst a global context fractured by conflicts, rejections, and widespread indifference, the reflections shared by Mons. Corrado Lorefice, President of the Migrantes Foundation, resonate with profound strength.
In his editorial, he reminds us that «in a time accustomed to counting the dead and considering the life of every creature as nothing». The Christian message proclaims with strength that every single life shines precious in the eyes of God.
Beyond prejudice: welcoming as the Gospel
All too often, those extending help face superficial criticism, accused of ideological bias or naive sentimentalism. Mons. Lorefice firmly rejects these labels: «The Church does not encourage sentimentalism and does not play politics: it lives the Gospel». From this spring of fidelity flows a truly human vision of coexistence. Consequently, «in front of the poor, the suffering person, the child, it makes no sense to look for explanations or second thoughts. They must be welcomed, and that is all».
The person who arrives is neither a threat nor a passive recipient, but a human being endowed with dignity and intrinsic value. Embracing this mutual encounter transforms hospitality into a shared journey toward human wholeness.
Welcoming pilgrims: protecting the most vulnerable
In this light, the contemporary revival of the works of mercy, which lies at the core of the mission promoted by spazio + spadoni, takes on a prophetic significance. The call to welcome pilgrims ceases to be a distant memory and becomes an urgent social and spiritual commitment.
Migrants escaping war and poverty embody the wanderers knocking on our community doors today. Among them, children bear the heaviest burden. As Mons. Lorefice emphasizes, «today migrants and refugees are the little ones of the Gospel». The Holy Family fleeing into Egypt reminds us that escaping oppressors is often the only way to safeguard a future for one’s children. Therefore, «protecting children is perhaps, today, the most urgent task given to us». Welcoming pilgrims means, above all, opening our arms to children, granting them safe shelter, education, and peace.
A shared commitment to merciful action
Answering this call requires moving beyond bureaucratic delegation to embrace community solidarity. When a parish, association, or family welcomes an uprooted family, it performs an act of generative justice.
The ongoing work in communities and missions supported by spazio + spadoni shows that mercy is a living construction site. Welcoming pilgrims and safeguarding fragile childhood is not a patronizing gesture, but the cornerstone of human fraternity. As the Gospel reminds us, cherishing even a single child means preserving the future of all humanity.
Adapted image of the GMMR poster – Fondazione Migrantes website.
