Vatican provides pastoral
guidelines to help internally displaced persons
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| A displaced Yemeni woman prepares food inside a temporary shelter at a camp for internally displaced persons on the outskirts of Sana'a (ANSA) |
The Migrants and Refugees Section of the Dicastery for
Promoting Integral Human Development provides new guidelines for responding to
the challenges of assisting internally displaced persons.
By Christopher Wells
The Vatican on Tuesday presented guidelines for the Church’s
response to the situation of internally displaced persons (IDPs). A new booklet
from the Migrants and Refugees
Section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development
identifies “new challenges posed by the present global scenario” and suggests
“adequate pastoral responses”.
“Pastoral
Orientations on Internally Displaced Persons” (POIDP) is intended “to
provide a series of key considerations that may be useful… in pastoral planning
and programme development for the effective assistance of IDPs”. It offers
“suggestions and guidance for action based on four words: welcome, protect,
promote, and integrate”. Pope Francis has proposed these
verbs with respect to migrants and refugees.
In separate sections corresponding to these four verbs, the
booklet notes challenges facing IDPs and considers how the Church is being
called to respond to those challenges.
Welcome
The Pastoral Orientations recognizes the complex situation
of internally displaced persons. It especially notes that they are often
forgotten by society at large and calls for the Church to raise awareness about
the issue.
Acknowledging that host communities are often in precarious
situations themselves, it calls on “all actors” to promote “a balanced and
comprehensive approach to humanitarian aid” for the benefit of both IDPs and
the communities that receive them.
Protect
The Section for Migrants and Refugees notes that IDPs “are
often displaced for the same reasons as refugees and have similar protection
needs”. However, because they have not crossed international borders, they do
not have the same rights or legal status under international law.
The document notes, too, that national authorities, which
have “the primary responsibility for their protection needs … are sometimes
unwilling or unable” to provide for them. It calls on the Church to advocate
for clear regulations “for the protection of IDPs at the local, national, and
international level”.
It also calls for special care for IDPs who are most
vulnerable, including people fleeing from war, abused women and children, child
soldiers, and disabled persons, as well as members of ethnic groups that face
discrimination.
Promote
The Church is also called to promote the material and spiritual
needs of IDPs. With regard to temporal wellbeing, members of displaced
communities should be aided so they can participate fully in the social and
economic life of their host communities. In this regard, education and medical
care are of particular importance.
While many organisations attempt to meet material needs, the
religious and spiritual welfare of IDPs can sometimes be neglected. The new
document notes that this spiritual dimension “is essential to the integral
human development that is supposed to be the goal of every programme addressing
IDPs”.
In particular, the Document calls on local bishops “to adopt
specific pastoral structures and programmes addressing IDPs’ material and
spiritual needs”.
Integrate
Concerning the integration of internally displaced persons
in new communities, the Section for Migrants and Refugees calls for responsible
parties to seek durable solutions.
Emergency camps, the document notes, “are a temporary
solution and are not a substitute for adequate housing”. Attempts to provide
for long-term, durable solutions must involve all stakeholders.
Specifically, the Document raises the issue of integration,
which is often difficult both for IDPs and host communities. Here the Church is
called to provide both groups “with guidance and support to promote authentic
integration”. This should recognise the rights and responsibilities of all
involved, especially the mutual benefits that can accrue to both the displaced
persons and the communities that welcome them.
Cooperation
The Section for Migrants and Refugees emphasises the need
for “joint work and coordination” among all parties involved in assisting IDPs.
It calls for cooperation among Catholic pastoral actors, especially under
the leadership of local bishops.
The Document also encourages Catholics to promote ecumenical
and interreligious cooperation, and cooperation with other actors concerned in
caring for IDPs. It adds, however, that “the missions and objectives of partner
organizations must be compatible with the vocation and doctrine of the Catholic
Church”.
Catholic organizations are invited to share data and
information with other organizations involved in aiding IDPs. “The mutual
exchange of knowledge and information is key to providing an effective
response,” the Document says.
Building a fairer, more inclusive society
The Document concludes turning once again to Pope Francis.
In his Message for
the 105th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, the Pope says
that the four verbs – welcome, protect, promote, integrate – “describe the
Church’s mission to all those living in the existential peripheries”.
Applying these words to all vulnerable persons “on the
move”, including IDPs, “contributes and helps all of us to build a fairer, more
inclusive society, where the integral human development of all its members is
promoted”.
Practical suggestions
In a final section, the Migrant and Refugees Section of the
Dicastery for Integral Human Development offers suggestions as to how to use
the new document. Specifically, it suggests using the pastoral orientations in
information and awareness campaigns; distributing the new booklet and other
relevant Church documents to NGOs and civil society groups; and entering into
dialogue with government officials responsible for IDPs.
It also invites those involved in aiding IDPs to share their
experiences and offer feedback on how the pastoral orientations are
implemented, and on how they are received by governments and by civil society.
The full text of "Pastoral Orientations on
Internally Displaced Persons", with supporting documents as well
as updates and reflections, can be found by clicking here: Migrants and Refugees website
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