A Catholic bishop has called on the faithful to deepen their compassion and solidarity with refugees, urging prayers, awareness, and policy support as the world marks World Refugee Day on June 20.
In a message shared through Radyo Veritas 846, Bishop Ruperto Santos of Antiplo, vice-chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerant People (CBCP-ECMI), invited Filipinos “to open their hearts” to those who are forced to flee their homes due to war, conflict, or disaster.
“I write to you with both a heavy heart for those displaced from their homes and hope inspired by our shared calling to welcome the stranger,” Bishop Santos said. “This observance takes on special passion as we remember Pope Francis, whose unwavering advocacy for refugees and migrants marked his entire papacy.”
The bishop encouraged simple yet meaningful acts in support of refugees, such as offering prayers for their welfare, studying their plight, supporting organizations engaged in humanitarian aid, fostering stronger interpersonal solidarity, and backing legislation that improves refugee protection.
He also appealed to Filipinos to reflect on the nation’s own legacy of providing sanctuary to displaced peoples, including Russian refugees of the 1920s, Jews persecuted during World War II, and Vietnamese boat people during the 1970s and 1980s.
“Let us remember that our Lord Jesus Himself was a refugee child in Egypt. May His experience move our hearts to greater compassion and our hands to more generous action,” Bishop Santos said. “On this World Refugee Day, let us also commit to being, in Pope Francis’s words, a Church that goes forth to the peripheries, bringing Christ’s love to those most in need of welcome and hope.”
In 2025, the Holy See observes World Refugee Day under the theme “Migrants are Missionaries of Hope,” aligning with the Church’s Jubilee Year celebration themed “Pilgrims of Hope.”
