Meeting migrants makes you realise they are human beings, and they “have suffered much” according to the Director of Caritas Internationalis.
Michael Roy says that listening to the stories of migrants and refugees should help people transcend prejudice.
“You may be afraid of migrants as a large group of people coming in, but when you meet a migrant, then you have a different vision,” he said last week.
He said listening to their stories makes it clear that “they are human beings, they are human beings who have suffered much; they’ve left a situation where they could not live anymore because of violence, conflict or just because of misery”.
“Once you understand the story of the person, then you will have a different attitude,” he added.
In late September, Pope Francis will launch the Share the Journey campaign, a two-year programme of Caritas Internationalis to promote encounters between people on the move and people living in the countries they are leaving, passing through or arriving in.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila, Philippines, president of Caritas Internationalis, wrote a letter in late June asking members of the Caritas federation to participate in the campaign. He said: “One of the most important questions we can ask ourselves as individuals, communities and countries at this time of mass movements of people and global doubt is ‘Do I allow fear to prevail in my heart, or do I allow hope to reign?’”
