CMC: Tagle in the Holy Land on migrants


Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Archbishop of Manila, capital of the Philippines, visited the Holy Land in July 2017 and gave an interview on migrants to the Christian Media Center. We publish here the link to this interview.

tagle2

View interview here

"Migrants are our brothers and sisters seeking a better life far from poverty, hunger, and war." This is the tweet sent by Pope Francis a few days ago. In Israel, the number of immigrants and refugees has increased. It is estimated that the Filipino community alone, according to the embassy, reached nearly 31,000 immigrants, concentrated in the cities of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa. For those people who left their own country, the Land of Jesus is a place to start over.

Tagle: "Emigration has always been part of human history. Many are the migrants scattered all over the world, including people emigrating from the Philippines, but if they had the chance, they would have preferred to stay in their country. So, why do they leave their homeland?
Some people leave just to follow their dream of emigrating, but for many others, leaving is imperative.”

This is a reality that has drawn the attention and concern of the Church, which opened the door to this new Christian presence in Israel.

Tagle: "How do we care for migrants? They are frightened, alone, worried and vulnerable. And it is the Church that has to give them a second home, a second family.”

In the month of September, Caritas Internationalis, of which Cardinal Tagle is President, will launch a worldwide campaign to invite people to meet migrants, share stories and experiences with them, and (therefore) acknowledge a common humanity.

Tagle: "Many immigrants manage to send money to their country, especially to their families: in this way, their children can have a better life and attend the best schools ... but this factor has a social impact: in fact, there is an entire generation of children being raised by only one parent or by neither of their parents."

In his message, at Easter 2017, His Eminence emphasized that "Emigration is a chance for people to flourish as human beings. It is an opportunity for them to create a better life for themselves and for future generations. Although destructive forces such as war and poverty can shatter people's human and family life, emigration shows us the nobility of the human spirit. As Christ in His journey to the cross, emigration drives people beyond physical and mental boundaries, and leads them through deserts of solitude and refusal.”

Tagle: "The main reason they come to Israel is to work and to support their families, and this is already a mission. However, their mission not only consists of earning money, but earning it for someone, for a better future. I hope that this sense of mission will never fade, and even though they live far from home and from their dearest things, they can be witnesses to their Christian identity and to their faith.”

Soutenez-nous Contactez-nous Vatican News en Hébreu La messe en hébreu Pour la protection des enfants


© 2020 Saint James Vicariate for Hebrew Speaking Catholics in Israel