The Social Theology of Migration Movements. Assay of Appreciation

Abstract

The phenomenon of migration belongs to. principal problems of the contemporary international life. To its importance testifies the fact that only in the 1946— 1954 years in migration was involve about 8 millions persons. The migration movement grows steadily and is followed by many social problems, both within the local and migration populations. In such a situation the Church must take an appropriate stand towards it and — depending on actual exigencies — elaborate the adequate methods of action in this domain. To some extent this need is met by the decisions of the Apostolic See: the Apostolic Constitution „Exsul familia” (1952) the instruction „De pastoralis migratorum cura” (1969), and by decisions of Vatican' Council II.

The fact of differentiating populations by migration makes it susceptible to studies from different points of view and in the light of varoius sciences. This work in an attempt to a migration movement description basing on the Catholic social theology principles, elaborated by Vatican Council II: and applied in the .Apostolic See’s instruction ,,De pastoralis migratorum cura”. The theological basis for reflections on religious importance of the migration movement constitutes the Council Fathers teaching On the pilgriming Church, on collegial Church administration ecumenism and religious tolerance. According to the doctrine all Christians are pilgriming to the heavenly Father and on the Earth they are only guests. The ’biblical picture of the earthly pilgrimage is realized in the Christ’s Church, i.e. pilgriming Church. Thus, to be an immigrant is one form of human pilgriming to the heavenly homeland. Such an understanding of Christian life gives to every immigrant’s life a symbol of the Christ wandering about the Earth. In effect the migration assumes an eschatological character. As the whole Church is pilgriming, it is why she from her very beginnings especially cared for the migrants; the migratory movement helped the Church to grow. The migration issue is influenced by the collegial-Church-government principle. The universalistic understanding of Church government collegiality gives a sense of responsibility to all God’s people for the fate of the brothers living in the migration situation. Therefore the apostolic activity among emigrants should belong not only to compencies of local ordinaries or episcopal conferences of migrants’ dwelling countries, because the local authorities often dispel a lack of understanding of national-religious needs of the religious-ethnic minorities. From it results a necessity of collaboration between the hierarchy of the origin-place and the hierarchy of the present migrants’ .abode. The postulate is important although difficult to realize.

The third basis of theological reflection on the migratory movements is a new understanding of ecumenism within the Church. It must be inspired by a atmosphere of religious tolerance. The properly conceived ecumenism and tolerance demand the respecting of distinctness of particular population groups; it is then an •organic unity within multiplicity can be created. Populational migrations in a great measure contribute to overcoming the difficulties in our world and thereby bring closer all the nations.

The migration movement is one principal factor of mutual understanding within a society. An appropriate planning of the movements can allow to relieve the tension between nations and will much contribute to maintaining world peace. The migratory movement permits to solve several moral and religious problems and can create occasions the new culture-creating values to originate; it is of significant importance also for the missionary work of the Church.

The alignment to a nationality must be determined by personal choice and decision of each migrant individual. Cultivation of a national-ethnic distinctness is today possible only with a conscious cooperation of both sides. This demands of mutual knowledge and understanding. Only in a full confidence and mutual friendliness atmosphere the exchange of values is possible.

The Christian, living in the migrant situation, being a sing and symbol of Christ- Pilgrim on the Earth becomes a living witness of the Christ’s truth. In various ways the migrant-Christian can give witness to this truth: 1. by apostolate of abiding in unbelieving environment, 2. by apostolate of pronouncing the God’s word, 3. by the apostolate of one’s own deeds, in a word, by living with faith. In the migration situation the faith inherited is generally lost, and demand is of a faith personally experienced and deepened. It is a faith from one’s own choice.

In propagating of one’s own group culture one should add to its attractiveness by shoving the culture in connections with all-human culture. Such an approach to cultural life of one’s own ethnic group will simultaneously allow to bring nearer the migrant and host-country populations and will permit the migrants to became full citizens of the new homeland. Thus the Christian migrant will be a catalyzer precipitating the process of unifying the whole mankind in a one Human Family.

This work is supplemented by an annex containing considerations about a necessity of conducting the sociological investigations within migratory population, basing on example of the Polonia community in the United States.