Churches in Vietnam, Japan to jointly care for
migrants
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| Asian Migrants.- AFP |
As the migrant crisis is escalating all over the world the
Church in Vietnam and Japan is working to collaborate on how to best provide
pastoral care and social benefits to the increasing number of migrant workers
in their own countries.
Father Joseph Dao Nguyen Vu, executive secretary of
the Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People
in Vietnam, accompanied by Bishop Joseph Do Manh Hung, head of the
commission, met with officials from the Catholic Commission of Japan for
Migrants, Refugees and People on the Move on Sept. 23-28.
Father Vu said Catholic churches have agreed to establish a
joint working group to include representatives from both countries, including
priests and Religious. He said both sides are now preparing to set up two
pastoral centers for Vietnamese migrant workers in two ecclesiastical provinces
of Tokyo and Osaka.
Father Vu said despite a lack of personnel, the church in
Japan tries to offer Vietnamese migrants faith education, pastoral work and
legal advice. The church in Japan also helps Vietnamese migrants integrate into
local communities, and tries to protect them from exploitation.
During the visit, Bishop Hung asked the Japanese church to
continue their generous support to enable Vietnamese communities to grow in
faith and social capabilities. He said the commission plans to establish an
office in Japan where local priests, Religious, social workers, legal advisers
can be present officially to help Vietnamese workers.
Some 200,000 Vietnamese migrant workers live in Japan, while
around 100,000 Japanese migrants work in Vietnam.
Pope Francis has been loud and clear in his recurrent plea
to care for the migrants and he even instituted a Dicastery for promoting
Integral Human Development. Through this Dicastery he wished to express
the Church’s concern for migrants, displaced people, refugees and victims of
human trafficking. (UCAN)
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