A Catholic bishop in the Philippines reminded the faithful to be more compassionate and charitable, especially to people who are displaced due to various circumstances.
“We are reminded to be more compassionate, more charitable, and most welcoming with our refugees,” said Bishop Ruperto Santos, vice chairman of the Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerant People.
The prelate made the call ahead of the observance of World Refugee Day on June 20 and the World Refugee Week until June 26.
Bishop Santos said refugees are “persons who deserve our respect and help, they’re personifications of Jesus who is telling us ‘I am stranger and you welcome me.’”
He said the Philippine bishops’ episcopal commission is ready to “accept and accommodate” refugees as the Catholic Church in the country works for their integration to the community and for the sustenance and education of their children.
World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honor refugees around the globe. It falls each year on June 20 and celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution.
In a statement released early this month, Pope Francis, referring to refugees and migrants, urged the faithful to “bring to the center all those who live on the peripheries.”
He said that it means “putting the Gospel at the center and understanding that at any point, each one of us could find ourselves at any moment in a situation of marginalization, weakness or vulnerability.”
The Catholic Church marks World Day of Migrants and Refugees on the last Sunday of September, which falls on the 25 September this year.
Pope Francis has chosen “Building the Future with Migrants and Refugees” as the theme of his annual message for the celebration.
