Migration and Mid-East
Christians at heart of Pope’s visit to Bari
North African migrants waiting to disembark from a rescue vessel in the southern Italian city of Taranto (ANSA) |
Pope Francis travels to the southern Italian city of Bari on
Sunday to address a conference entitled “Mediterranean: Frontier of Peace,”
which sees the participation of some 60 Catholic bishops from 19 nations
bordering the Mediterranean.
By Linda Bordoni
During his visit to the coastal city of Bari, Pope Francis
will participate in a conference with bishops from Mediterranean countries and
celebrate Mass in front of the Basilica of St. Nicholas. It will be his second
visit to the city following the one in July 2018 during which he prayed for
peace in the Middle East, together with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I.
The event organized by the Italian Bishops’ Conference (CEI)
will focus on issues facing the region.
The President of CEI, Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, explained
that the meeting will take place in a “synod” style, with the formulation of a
shared proposal for a final document.
He said its objective is to highlight the Mediterranean as a
meeting of civilizations, a place where Christianity developed and is
“therefore, a frontier of peace.”
Hailing from North Africa, Europe and the Middle East,
participants are discussing issues connected to migration, evangelization of
young people, unemployment, cultural exchanges and peacemaking.
5-day Conference
Work starts on Wednesday afternoon when participants gather
for the opening of the conference;
Thursday's topic will be “Delivering the Faith to Future Generations” and Friday's theme will be "Relationship Between Church and Society: Mobility, Citizenship, Religious Freedom, Inequality".
Both days will include morning roundtable discussions followed by assembly discussions and afternoon conclusions.
On Saturday, an assembly will be held for general conclusions that will be condensed into the final document, followed by the public event in Bari’s Petruzzelli Theatre entitled "In the Same Boat".
Thursday's topic will be “Delivering the Faith to Future Generations” and Friday's theme will be "Relationship Between Church and Society: Mobility, Citizenship, Religious Freedom, Inequality".
Both days will include morning roundtable discussions followed by assembly discussions and afternoon conclusions.
On Saturday, an assembly will be held for general conclusions that will be condensed into the final document, followed by the public event in Bari’s Petruzzelli Theatre entitled "In the Same Boat".
On Sunday, Pope Francis will address the meeting and receive
the final document.
Migration and persecution of Christians
Migration is expected to take center stage given the numbers
of people trying to enter Europe either from Turkey or from North Africa, many
of them trafficked, exploited and caught in the cracks of inadequate policies
for registration, reception and integration.
Another topic which is expected to be addressed in depth
regards the dwindling of Christian communities in some Middle Eastern countries
impacted by the rise of the so-called Islamic State and related forms of
jihadist extremism.
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