25 Apr Forced like Jesus Christ to flee
The 106th World Day of Migrants and Refugees will be celebrated on 27 September 2020. As the title for his annual message, the Holy Father has chosen “Forced like Jesus Christ to flee”. The message will focus on the pastoral care of internally displaced people (IDPs), who currently number over 41 million worldwide.
As the title makes clear, the message originates in the experience of the young Jesus and his family as displaced persons and refugees. This experience provides a specific Christological grounding for the Christian action of welcome or hospitality.
Over the coming months, the theme will be developed in six sub-themes expressed in six pairs of verbs: to know in order to understand; to draw near so as to serve; to listen in order to reconcile; to share and thus to grow; to involve in order to promote; and finally, to collaborate and therefore to build.
Again this year, the Migrants & Refugees Section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development will encourage, prepare and support the celebration of this day. Resources are being developed and a communication campaign will soon get underway. Each month, information, reflections, and multimedia aids will be offered as means of exploring and expressing the theme chosen this year by the Holy Father: “Forced like Jesus Christ to flee”.
