New president of ICMC on Pope's
moral leadership for migrants
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| Pope Francis greeting a migrant on his first visit to the island of Lampedusa. |
Australian lawyer Anne Gallagher says Pope Francis' message
of "hope and compassion" can help to address fears relating to
migration and national security concerns
By Philippa Hitchen
In his new apostolic exhortation, ‘Gaudete
et Exsultate’, or ‘Rejoice and Be Glad’, Pope Francis reflects on the call
to holiness in a contemporary context. While looking back at the lives of
saints and martyrs of the past, the Pope focuses on the way modern women and
men can respond to God’s call through “small gestures” of love and compassion
towards our neighbours in need.
In the third and central section dedicated to the
Beatitudes, the Pope speaks about the vital work of defending the dignity of
every person, in particular “the lives of the poor [….] the destitute, the
abandoned and the underprivileged”.
Defending the dignity of every person
Each person seeking to follow God’s call to holiness has a
special mission, he says, and it is wrong to claim that defending the lives of
migrants is "a secondary issue compared to the 'grave' bioethical
questions".
Throughout the past five years, the Pope has spoken out
about the rights of migrants, condemning human trafficking, exploitation,
racism and xenophobia. But what impact have his words had at policy making
level, where migration is one of the most politically charged issues of our
day?
Anne Gallagher is the new President of the International
Catholic Migration Commission. An Australian lawyer specialising in human
rights and gender issues, she is widely recognized as the leading global expert
on international law regarding human trafficking.
She says “we’re in the fortunate position of having the Holy
Father as the moral voice, giving leadership, giving encouragement and support
to the international community, and I believe it’s making a huge difference”.
Message of hope and compassion
She says the Pope’s message is one of “hope and compassion
and it’s very much needed at this time”. But she notes that “compassion needs
to work in all directions, and it needs to be directed at everyone”.
Reflecting on the election of anti-immigration politicians,
she says “it’s important for us to understand where the fear is coming from, to
understand and appreciate that people have concerns and worries about their
society and about their children’s’ future”.
Engaging with peoples' fears
The Catholic Church, Gallagher says, can “engage in a real
dialogue with its people and with the broader community in relation to
migration”, and to “how those fears can be openly and honestly addressed”.
She notes that all governments are struggling with balancing
national security and migration issues. She says that over more than half a
century there has been a real development of an international legal Human
Rights framework that recognises the integrity of the human person, and the
“inalienable rights” that governments must provide for.
Church provides courage, guidance, leadership
She describes that as “a massive step forward” but adds that
“when there are clashing interests at stake, we need “to hold our ground”,
looking to the Church for “courage, guidance and leadership”.
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