atrocities which always accompany wars and violence".   
    "Now as then, we hear the angel say: 'Rise, take the child and his mother, and   
   flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you'. His is the voice heard by   
   many   
   migrants who would never have left their homeland had they not been forced to.   
   Among these are many Christians who in great numbers have abandoned their   
   native   
   lands these past years, despite the fact that they have dwelt there from the   
   earliest days of Christianity. Finally, we also hear today the voice of the   
   Psalmist: 'By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we   
   remembered Zion'. His is the cry of those who would readily return to their own   
   country, if only there they could find adequate conditions of security and   
   sustenance. Here too my thoughts turn to the Christians of the Middle East, who   
   desire to contribute fully as citizens to the spiritual and material well-being   
   of their respective nations".   
    "Many of the causes of migration could have been addressed some time ago", the   
   Holy Father commented. "So many disasters could have been prevented, or at   
   least   
   their harshest effects mitigated. Today too, before it is too late, much could   
   be done to end these tragedies and to build peace. But that would mean   
   rethinking entrenched habits and practices, beginning with issues involving the   
   arms trade, the provision of raw materials and energy, investment, policies of   
   financing and sustainable development, and even the grave scourge of   
   corruption.   
   We all know, too, that with regard to migration there is a need for mid-term   
   and   
   long-term planning which is not limited to emergency responses. Such planning   
   should include effective assistance for integrating migrants in their receiving   
   countries, while also promoting the development of their countries of origin   
   through policies inspired by solidarity, yet not linking assistance to   
   ideological strategies and practices alien or contrary to the cultures of the   
   peoples being assisted".   
    "Without overlooking other dramatic situations - in this regard, I think   
   particularly of the border between Mexico and the United States of America,   
   which I will be near when I visit Ciudad Juarez next month - my thoughts turn   
   in   
   a special way to Europe. Over the past year Europe has witnessed a great wave   
   of   
   refugees - many of whom died in the attempt - a wave unprecedented in recent   
   history, not even after the end of the Second World War. Many migrants from   
   Asia   
   and Africa see in Europe a beacon for principles such as equality before the   
   law   
   and for values inherent in human nature, including the inviolable dignity and   
   equality of every person, love of neighbour regardless of origin or   
   affiliation,   
   freedom of conscience and solidarity towards our fellow men and women".   
    "All the same, the massive number of arrivals on the shores of Europe appear   
   to   
   be overburdening the system of reception painstakingly built on the ashes of   
   the   
   Second World War, a system that is still an acknowledged beacon of humanity.   
   Given the immense influx and the inevitable problems it creates, a number of   
   questions have be raised about the real possibilities for accepting and   
   accommodating people, about changes in the cultural and social structures of   
   the   
   receiving countries, and about the reshaping of certain regional geopolitical   
   balances. Equally significant are fears about security, further exacerbated by   
   the growing threat of international terrorism. The present wave of migration   
   seems to be undermining the foundations of that 'humanistic spirit' which   
   Europe   
   has always loved and defended. Yet there should be no loss of the values and   
   principles of humanity, respect for the dignity of every person, mutual   
   subsidiarity and solidarity, however much they may prove, in some moments of   
   history, a burden difficult to bear. I wish, then, to reaffirm my conviction   
   that Europe, aided by its great cultural and religious heritage, has the means   
   to defend the centrality of the human person and to find the right balance   
   between its twofold moral responsibility to protect the rights of its citizens   
   and to ensure assistance and acceptance to migrants".   
    Francis expressed his gratitude for the initiatives that have been adopted in   
   order to provide a dignified reception to these persons, such as the Migrant   
   and   
   Refugee Fund of the Council of Europe Development Bank, and the generous   
   solidarity shown by a number of countries. "I also have in mind the nations   
   neighbouring Syria, which have responded immediately with help and acceptance,   
   especially Lebanon, where refugees make up a fourth of the total population,   
   and   
   Jordan, which has not closed its borders despite the fact that it already   
   harbours hundreds of thousands of refugees. Nor should we overlook the efforts   
   made by other countries in the front lines, especially Turkey and Greece. I   
   wish   
   to express particular gratitude to Italy, whose decisive commitment has saved   
   many lives in the Mediterranean, and which continues to accept responsibility   
   on   
   its territory for a massive number of refugees. It is my hope that the   
   traditional sense of hospitality and solidarity which distinguishes the Italian   
   people will not be weakened by the inevitable difficulties of the moment, but   
   that, in light of its age-old tradition, the nation may prove capable of   
   accepting and integrating the social, economic and cultural contribution which   
   migrants can offer".   
    "It is important that nations in the forefront of meeting the present   
   emergency   
   not be left alone, and it is also essential to initiate a frank and respectful   
   dialogue among all the countries involved in the problem - countries of origin,   
   transit, or reception - so that, with greater boldness and creativity, new and   
   sustainable solutions can be sought. As things presently stand, there is no   
   place for autonomous solutions pursued by individual states, since the   
   consequences of the decisions made by each inevitably have repercussions on the   
   entire international community. Indeed, migrations, more then ever before, will   
   play a pivotal role in the future of our world, and our response can only be   
   the   
   fruit of a common effort respectful of human dignity and the rights of persons.   
   The Development Agenda adopted last September by the United Nations for the   
   next   
   fifteen years, which deals with many of the problems causing migration, and   
   other documents of the international community on handling the issue of   
   migration, will be able to find application consistent with expectations if   
   they   
   are able to put the person at the centre of political decisions at every level,   
   seeing humanity as one family, and all people as brothers and sisters, with   
   respect for mutual differences and convictions of conscience".   
    "In facing the issue of migrations, one cannot overlook its cultural   
   implications, beginning with those linked to religious affiliation. Extremism   
   and fundamentalism find fertile soil not only in the exploitation of religion   
   for purposes of power, but also in the vacuum of ideals and the loss of   
   identity   
   - including religious identity - which dramatically marks the so-called West.   
   This vacuum gives rise to the fear which leads to seeing the other as a threat   
   and an enemy, to closed-mindedness and intransigence in defending preconceived   
   notions. The phenomenon of migration raises a serious cultural issue which   
   necessarily demands a response. The acceptance of migrants can thus prove a   
   good   
   opportunity for new understanding and broader horizons, both on the part of   
   those accepted, who have the responsibility to respect the values, traditions   
   and laws of the community which takes them in, and on the part of the latter,   
   who are called to acknowledge the beneficial contribution which each immigrant   
   can make to the whole community. In this context, the Holy See reaffirms its   
   commitment in the ecumenical and interreligious sectors to inaugurating a   
   sincere and respectful dialogue which, by valuing the distinctness and identity   
   of each individual, can foster a harmonious coexistence among all the members   
   of   
   society".   
    The Pope remarked that the conclusion of important international agreements   
   during 2015 may give solid hope for the future. Firstly, there was the   
   so-called   
   Iran nuclear deal and the long-awaited agreement on climate at the Paris   
   Conference, which "represents for the entire international community an   
   important achievement; it reflects a powerful collective realisation of the   
   grave responsibility incumbent on individuals and nations to protect creation,   
   to promote a 'culture of care which permeates all of society'. It is now   
   essential that those commitments prove more than simply a good intention, but   
   rather a genuine duty incumbent on all states to do whatever is needed to   
   safeguard our beloved earth for the sake of all mankind, especially generations   
   yet to come".   
    The year which has just begun promises, he said, to be "full of challenges and   
   more than a few tensions have already appeared on the horizon. I think above   
   all   
   of the serious disagreements which have arisen in the Persian Gulf region, as   
   well as the disturbing military test conducted on the Korean peninsula. It is   
   my   
   hope that these conflicts will be open to the voice of peace and a readiness to   
   seek agreements. Here I note with satisfaction of certain significant and   
   particularly encouraging gestures. I think especially of the climate of   
   peaceful   
   coexistence in which the recent elections in the Central African Republic were   
   held; these are a positive sign of the will to persevere on the path to full   
   national reconciliation. I also think of the new initiatives under way in   
   Cyprus   
   to heal a long-standing division, and to the efforts being made by the   
   Colombian   
   people to leave behind past conflicts and to attain the long-awaited peace. We   
   all look with hope to the important steps made by the international community   
   to   
   achieve a political and diplomatic solution of the crisis in Syria, one which   
   can put a long overdue end to the sufferings of the population. The signals   
      
   --- MPost/386 v1.21   
    * Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS=Huntsville AL=bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)