Preliminary communication
https://doi.org/10.31337/oz.75.1.6
The Catholic Church and Migrants: Towards a Multicultural Model of Migrant Integration
Snježana Gregurović
; Institute for Migration and Ethnic Studies
Abstract
Due to the fact that hundreds of thousands of people are seeking international protection, and migrants are leaving their countries for reasons of poverty and political and economic instability, many European countries face a number of humanitarian and integration challenges. The heterogeneity of immigrant groups in regard to their cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds and their intention to permanently settle in host countries, make these challenges much more complex than in previous times. The paper discusses the role of the Catholic Church as a religious organisation which, through her services, pastoral and other activities, assists migrants and refugees in their arrival in a new environment and in the integration process. Care for refugees and migrants by the Catholic Church is also reflected in her advocacy of these groups as can be seen in Church documents and canonical decrees adopted after the Second Vatican Council. The aim of this paper is to highlight the universal and transcultural dimension of the Catholic Church as an institution which, due to its multicultural character, has a special role in migrant and refugee integration. Particular emphasis is placed on the potential of the Catholic Church to build a culture of solidarity and dialogue as a prerequisite for social cohesion.
Keywords
Catholic Church; migrants; persons under international protection; religion; multicultural integration; Europe
Hrčak ID:
237696
URI
Publication date:
13.5.2020.
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