~
THE PASTORAL CARE OF MIGRANTS IN THE DIRECTIVES OF THE CHURCH
LA PASTORAL DE LOS MIGRANTES EN LAS DIRECTRICES DE LA IGLESIA
U)
seAL ABRINI r-..,,,\S
Velasio De Paolis, c.s.
eMSOccasional Papers:
Pastoral Series 9
Velasio De Paolis, c.s.
THE PASTORAL CARE OF MIGRANTS IN THE DIRECTIVES OF THE CHURCH
lA PASTORAL DE LOS MIGRANTES EN lAS DIRECTRICES DE lA IGLESIA
II II 1989
CMS - CEPAM - SIM
II II
Center for Migration Studies of New York, Inc. Centro de Estudios de Pastoral y Asistencia Migratoria, Caracas
Servicio de Informacion Migratoria, Bogota
II II
The Center for Migration Studies is an educational nonprofit institute founded in New York in 1964, committed to encourage and facilitate tfle study ofsociodemographic, economic, political, historical, legislative and pastoral aspects of human migration and refugee movements. The opinions expressed in this work are those of the author.
This paper, The Pastoral Care of Migrants in the Directives of the Church, was presented at the IX Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Councii for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People held in Rome on October 24-26, 1988, and it is reproduced with the kind permission of the same Pontifical Council.
Father Velasio De Paolis, c.s., is professor of Canon Law at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and is author of several studies dealing with migrants and canonical legislation and Church teching.
THE PASTORAL CARE OF MIGRANTS IN THE DIRECTIVES OF THE CHURCH
LA PASTORAL DE LOS MIGRANTES EN LAS DIRECTRICES DE LA IGLESIA
Pastoral Series: Occasional Paper # 9
The Center for Migration Studies of New York, Inc.
209 Flagg Place Staten Island, New York 10304-1148
ISBN 0-934733-46-5
••••• THE PASTORAL CARE OF MIGRANTS IN THE DIRECTIVES OF THE CHURCH •LA PASTORAL DE LOS MIGRANTES I• EN LAS DIRECTRICES DE LA IGLESIA
CONTENTS - INDICE
•• I. The Church has a specific pastoral care for migrants 5
La Iglesia time una pastoral e~pec{jica para los migrantes • 1. The pastoral concept of "migrant" - Concepto pastoral de "migrante"
• 2. The need for specific pastoral care
Necesidad de una cura pastoral especlfica • 3. What is the specificity of the pastoral care En que consiste el canlcter espedfico de la pastoral
• II. Justification and explanation ofthe specific pastoral care 9 Justificacion y explicacion de la pastoral especifica
• 1. The starting point of the specific pastoral care Punto de partida de la pastoral especlfica
• 2. Valorization of the cultural heritage
Valorizacion del patrimonio cultural 3. Consequences
• Consecuencias
• 4. The respect of the cultural and spiritual heritage in
the mystery of the Church El respeto por el patrimonio cultural y espiritual en el misterio de la Iglesia
• III. The pastoral care ofmigrants, a mission ofthe Church 18 La pastoral de los migrantes, mision de la Iglesia
• 1. Diocesan priests Los sacerdotes diocesanos
• 2. The religious Los religiosos
• W. The structure ofthe pastoral care ofmigrants 24 Estructura de la pastoral de los migrantes
• 1. The universal Church La Iglesia universal
• 2. The particular Church
La Iglesia particular
•3. The personal parish or chaplaincy
La parroquia personal 0 capellania
•
•••••
THE PASTORAL CARE OF MIGRANTS •IN THE DIRECTIVES OF THE CHURCH
• LA PASTORAL DE LOS MIGRANTES EN LAS DIRECTRICES DE LA IGLESIA •
•••••• II II II II II
1
Let us Introduce ourselves to the theme with an observation: the Church
testifies that throughout the centuries she has always taken the pastoral care of
migrants to her heart. Among the many texts available ~ let us consider the
affirmation found in the Constitution Exsul Familia: "Holy Mother Church~ impelled
by her ardent love of souls has striven to fulfill the duties inherent in her
mandate of salvation for all mankind ~ a mandate entrusted to her by Christ. She
has been especially careful to provide all possible spiritual care for pilgrims,
aliens, exiles and migrants of every kind. This work has been carried out chiefly
by priests who ~ in administering the Sacraments and preaching the Word of God,
have labored zealously to strengthen the faith of the Christians in the bond of
charity (DSS 1035). (1)
To support this affirmation ~ the Constitution ~ in a broad historical
excursus~ shows the effort of the Church in favor of the people on the move, from
the early times until the publication of the text, that is ~ up to the pontificate of
Pius XII ~ and concludes with the following reflection: "These timely projects have
seemed altogether worth noting here. Initiated by this Apostolic See, they were
undertaken by the bishops with the eager cooperation of priests, members of
religious communities and laymen. The names of these collaborators ~ although,
for the most part ~ not recorded -in history books ~ are nevertheless written in
heaven. Again, these works have appeared worth recounting here, if only
briefly ~ so that the universal and benevolent activity of the Church on behalf of
migrants and exiles of every kind - to whom she has extended every possible aid:
religious, moral and social, - might thus become better appreciated.
Besides, it seemed that these things badly needed to be publicized~
Vamos a abordar el tema con una constatacion: la Iglesia ha
dado gran importancia - a traves de los siglos - al cuidado espiritual
de los emigrantes. Puede dar testimonio de ello, entre muchos textos,
la afirmacion de la Constitucion "Exsul Familia": "La Santa Madre
Iglesia - impulsada por su inmenso amor hacia las almas y en su afan
de cumplir el mandato de salvacion universal que Ie fue confiado por
Cristo - no tardo en asumir el cuidado, sobre todo espiritual, tambien
de los peregrinos, forasteros y desterrados, y de todos los emigrantes,
sin ahorrar esfuerzos y valiendose principalmente de sacerdotes para
que estos, mediante la administracion de los carismas de la gracia y
la predicacion de la palabra divina, pudieran - con toda solicitud
confirmar a esos cristianos en la fe y estrechar los vlnculos de la
caridad" (DSS, 1035). (1)
Para demostrar esta afirmacion, la Constitucion - en un amplio
recorrido historico - examina el compromiso de la Iglesia en favor de
los hombres que se hallan implicados en la movilidad humana desde los
primeros tiempos hasta el momenta de la publicacion del texto, es de
cir, hasta el Pontificado de Pio XII, y concluye con la siguiente re
flexion: "Todas estas medidas oportunas, realizadas por parte de la
Sede Apostolica, y las iniciativas de los pastores, con la generosa
colaboracion de sacerdotes, religiosos y fieles cuyos nombres - aunque
por 10 general no figuran en la historia, estan escritos en el cielo
(cf. Lc 10, 20) - mereclan ser recordadas y relatadas, si bien a gran
des rasgos, para que resplandezca cada vez mas la obra universal y be
nefica de la Iglesia con los emigrantes y exiliados de toda clase a
quienes ella ha proporcionado siempre, sin ahorrarse, asistencia reli
giosa, moral y social.
Esto parece aun mas necesario en nuestros d[as, cuando la provi
da actividad de la Madre Iglesia se ve impugnada, desconocida y discu
tida, con tanta mendacidad, por sus adversarios, precisamente en ese
campo de la caridad que Ie toco roturar antes que los demas y que a
menudo tuvo que cultivar sola" (DSS, 1128-1129).
•••••••
II La "Carta Magna" de la pastoral de los emigrantes (2) es la Cons
titucion "Exsul Familia". Publicada en 1952, manifiesta el creciente
II
2
especially in our times, when the provident enterprises of Mother Church are so
unjustly assailed by her enemies and scorned and overlooked, even in the very
field of charity where she was first to break ground and often the only to continue
its cultivation" (DSS 1128-1129).
The Constitution "Exsul Familia" is the "Magna Charta" of the pastoral care
of migrants (2). Its publication, in 1952, marks also an intensification of the
Church's effort with regard to the phenomenon of migrations, at a time when it was
taking on the magnitude it had at the end of the century. With that Constitution,
Pope Pius XII intended to give to Ordinaries adequate norms not in conflict with
the provisions of the Code of Canon Law, but, on the contrary, faithfully
consonant with its spirit and with the tradition, and to provide them with proper
faculties to enable them to give spiritual assistance to aliens, whether residents
or travellers, in a form appropriate to their needs and not inferior to that available
to the other faithful of their dioceses (DSS 1132). The migratory flow intensified
steadily. Meanwhile, the Church was celebrating the Second Vatican Council. Its
reflection could not but have repercussions also on the pastoral care of migrants,
whose renewal was to be influenced, above all, by the ecclesiology of Vatican II.
Successively, numerous interventions of the Magisterium were to enrich the
already vast documentation about the Church's pastoral effort for people on the
move. A testimony of it is the book "The Church and People on the Move
Documents of the Holy See from 1883 to 1983", published on the initiative of the
Pontifical Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrations and Tourism, and
prepared by the Study Centre for Emigration in Rome. We have to select among
these documents those that mark the fundamental steps taken by the Magisterium
of the Church. Actually, the selection is not at all difficult (3). We should
recall, first of all, the already mentioned Apostolic Constitution Exsul Familia of
1 August 1952, which sums up the past history and presents the new norms for
the future. These, in turn, take up the previous regulations and bring them up
to date by adapting them to the new circumstances of time and places, and by
arranging them in a unitarian and systematic way (DSS, 1133). As far as the
Council is concerned, special attention has to be given to the Decree Christus
Dominus; but it is the whole of the conciliar renewal that should be kept in mind,
both for the ecc1esiological doctrine and for the missionary dimension (4). Paul
••••••••
••
- 2
compromiso de la Iglesia con relacion al fenomeno de las migraciones
cuya magnitud, en esos anos, era tan imponente que podIa compararse
con la de fines del siglo pasado. Mediante esa Constitucion, el Santo
Padre Pio XII quiso proporcionar a los Ordinarios normas apropiadas,
no solo que no se opusieran a la legislacion del Codigo de Derecho Ca
nonico, sino aun mas, que fueran fieles a su espIritu y a la tradicion;
y, al mismo tiempo, darles las facultades necesarias para que pudieran
atender al cuidado espiritual de los extranjeros - tanto de los resi
dentes como de los que se encuentran de paso - en forma adecuada a
sus necesidades y no menos eficaz que la atencion que reciben los de
mas fieles en sus propias diocesis (DSS, 1132). La ola de emigrantes
comenzo a hacerse mas intensa. Mientras tanto, la Iglesia celebraba
el Concilio Vaticano II cuya reflex ion no podIa dejar de tener reper
cusiones tambien en el campo de la pastoral de los emigrantes: la ecle
siologIa del Vaticano II estaba destinada a producir un impacto espe
cial en la renovacion de la era presente. Mas adelante, las numerosas
intervenciones del Magisterio eclesiastico han ido enriqueciendo la
amplia documentacion sobre el compromiso de la Iglesia en la pastoral
de la movilidad humana. Da prueba de esto el volumen "Chiesa e mobi
lita umana - Documenti della Santa Sede dal 1883 al 1983", publicado
bajo el patrocinio de la Pontificia Comision para la pastoral de los
migrantes y al cuidado del Centro Studi Emigrazione de Roma. Es nece
sario efectuar una seleccion de algunos de esos documentos que marcan
las etapas fundamentales del Magisterio de la Iglesia. La eleccion,
desde luego, no es diffcil (3). Ante todo, hay que mencionar la citada
Constitucion Apostolica Exsul Familia del 1Q de agosto de 1952. En
ella se halla resumida la historia, y se presenta la nueva normativa
para el futuro, tomada de las anteriores directrices, adaptandolas a
las nuevas circunstancias de tiempo y lugar y ordenandolas de manera
unitaria y sistematica (DSS, 1133). En cuanto al Concilio se refiere,
habra que prestar especial atencion al nQ 18 del Decreto Christus Do
minus; pero 10 que hay que tener presente, en realidad, es toda la re
novacion conciliar, tanto por la doctrina eclesiologica como por la
dimension misionera (4). El Motu Proprio de Pablo VI "Pastoralis Migra
torum Cura", del 15 de agosto de 1969, constituye un punto de referencia
3
VI's Motu Proprio "Pastoralis Migratorum Cura", of August 15, 1969, constitutes
a clear point of reference for the implementation of the conciliar directives. It was
followed by the Instruction "De pastorali migratorum cura", issued by the
Congregation for the Bishops, August 22, 1969, 011 behalf of the Pope (5).
Another sign of the Church's renewed pastoral effort for migrants has been the
setting up of the Pontifical Commission for the Pastoral Care of Emigration and
Tourism, by Paul VI's Motu Proprio "Apostolicae Caritatis" of March 19, 1970, then
transformed into a Pontifical Council by the Constitution "Bonus Pastor" of June
28, 1988. Among the documents of the Commission, "Church and People on the
Move", of May 26, 1978, has a special importance. Finally, we should mention the
new Code of Canon Law (6), of which Pope John Paul II said that it was llthe last
document of the Council" (7). These are the documents in which the directives
for the pastoral care of the people on the move are presented in a unitarian and,
in a sense, an organic way. Further occasional, and therefore fragmentary
interventions, are rather explicative or implemental of the said documents.
However, the annual messages of the Holy See for the Migrants Day, and the Holy
Father's addresses to migrants during his apostolic trips, especially in the early
years of his pontificate, deserve a particular attention (8).
There are several possible readings of these documents. For our purpose,
we opt for a reading that indicates clearly the basic lines of the Church's pastoral
work for people on the move in the present situation. Our perspective is
eminently pastoral and normative (9); as such, it limits the scope of our study,
first of all with regard to the phenomenon of people on the move, which embraces
a rather vast field: among others, it includes two sectors - migrations and tourism
- that are not easily reducible to a common denominator. Significantly, the
Dicastery concerned (Pontificium Consilium de spirituali migrantium atque
itinerantum cura) uses two distinct terms (migrants and itinerants) to indicate the
beneficiaries of its activity, precisely because it is impossible to put all people on
the move on the same plane. Migrations also have a rather broad range of social
phenomena, so much so that it was felt necessary to specify the concept of migrant
from a pastoral point of view. Our reflections will necessarily be limited to the
pastoral care of migrants.
,
••••••••
•••••••
- 3
muy claro para la realizacion de las directrices del Cancilia. A ~ste
siguio la Instruccion "De pastorall migratorum cura", publicada el 22
de agosto de 1969 pOl' recomendaci6n del Papa a la Congregacion de los
Obispos (5). Otro signa del compromiso de la Iglesia en 1a pastoral
de los emigrantes fue 1a cre~ci6n de la Pontiflcia Comislon para la
pastoral de los emigrantes. pOl' deseo de Pablo VI, can el Motu Proprio
"Apostolicae Caritatis" del 19 de marlO de 1970. La Comision ha sido
transformada en Pontificio Consejo mediante la Constitucion "Pastor
Bonus" del 28 de junio de 1988. Entre los documentos de la Comision,
tiene especial importancia la Carta "Iglesia y Movilidad Humana" del
26 de mayo de 1978. En fin, hay que recordar el nuevo Codigo de Dere
cho Canonico (6), definido par el Papa Juan Pablo II como "el ultimo
documento del Concilio" (7). Son estos los textos que presentan de ma
nera unitaria - y en clerta forma organica - las directrices para la
pastoral de la movilidad humana. Otros escritos, mas bien ocasionales
y por tanto fragmentarios, son mas que todo aclaraciones 0 aplicacio
nes de los documentos arriba mencionados. Ademas, merecen particular
atencion los mensajes anuales de la Santa Sede con motivo del Dia del
Migrante, como tambien los discursos que el Papa ha dirigido a los
emigrantes, especialmente en los primeros anos de su Pontificado, con
motive de sus viajes apostolicos (8).
Es posible realizar diferentes lecturas de tales documentos. Lo
que nos interesa, sin embargo, es efectuar una lectura que ponga de
relieve las l!neas principales de una pastoral de la Iglesia en la mo
vilidad humana, en la situacion actual. La perspectiva es eminentemente
pastoral y normativa (9) y, en cuanto tal, limita nuestro campo de
estudio, ante todo con relacion al fenomeno de la movilidad humana.
Esta ultima abarca un horizonte bastante amplio; en especial, encierra
dos sectores que no se pueden reducir facilmente a un comun denomina
dor: las migraciones y el turismo. Es significativo el hecho de que
en el nombre del Dicasterio que se ocupa de estes campos (Pontificium
Consilium de spirituale migrantium atque itinerantium cura) se utili
zan dos terminos diferentes (migrantes e itinerantes) para indicar los
destinatarios de su actividad, precisamente porque no es posible
4
A second remark concerns the migrants for whom the Church, in her
documents, contemplates a specific pastoral assistance. This clarification has to
be made from a twofold point of view. Firstly, we are speaking of migrants
already baptized, and who belong to the Catholic church (10). Then, our
considerations are generally limited to migrants of Latin rite, since the pastoral
work with Eastern rite Catholics is to be seen more in the perspective of that rite
(11) .
Finally, a third remark concerns the merit of the documents, especially in
relation to the Code of Canon Law. The Constitution Exsul Familia appears as a
document which, while not in conflict with the Code, intended to give an urderly
and complete set of norms for the pastoral care of migrants by correcting,
developing, and adapting the previous norms, and adding new ones if necessary:
so, the whole matter is ordered in a new and thorough manner. The previous set
of norms is therefore abrogated and replaced by a new one. The same operation
has been done by the legislator with the Motu Proprio Pastoralis Migratorum cura,
and the Instruction De Pastoralis Migratorum cura. The latter, in fact, in
accordance with the Decree Christus Dominum, 18, gives new directiv 2S for the
pastoral care of migrants. Yet, the Constitution Exsul Familia cannot be
considered as being totally obsolete. Even though its normative section has been
replaced by the Instruction lIDe Pastorali Migratorum cura ll , Exsul Familia still
remains as a clear point of reference both for the historical section and for the
basic principles that have guided the formulation of its norms. This is the sense
of what is said in the letter lIChurch and People on the Move ll , 28: "That document
(Exsul Familia), which embraces all the aspects of being on the move, retains its
value even today. It is from the three's old trunk that the new shoots springll
(DSS, 2448). The principal directives of these documents have now been included
into the Code of Canon Law. It does not seem to us that the Code intended to
radically order the matter and to invalidate the previous directives. un the
contrary, by taking in the principal norms it intended to keep the normative value
of the sources at which it drew, and to confer greater authority to them. Keeping
in mind, however, that the particular legislation in the area of pastoral care of
migrants has never been meant to oppose, or to depart from the general and
universal legislation of the Code; should a conflict arise between the universal
••- 4 .
••considerar por igual a todos los cnmponentes de Ja movilidad humana.
Tambi~n las migraciorles tienen una gama m~5 bien amplia de fenomenos
sociales hasta el punto que se ha estimado necesario orecisar el con
cepto de migrante desde un punta de vjsta pastoral. Tendremos, pues,
• necesariamente, que limitar nuestras refle~iones sabre la pastoral de
los emigrantes.
••Una segunda observdcicin se refiere a aquellos migrantes para los
cuales la Iglesia contempld. en sus documento5, un cuidado pastoral
•espec{fico. Esta aclaraci6ri se deber~ hacer teniendo en cuenta dos as
pectos: ante todo, se trata de mlgrantes que ya est~n bautizados y per
tenecen a la Iglesia cat61ica (10). Adem~s, nos limitaremos principal
mente a los migrantes de rIta latino. ya que el cuidado pastoral de
• los cat61icos de rita oriental se contempla m~s bien desde la perspec
tiva de ese mismo rito (11).
••En fin, la tercera abservacion se refiere al valor de los docu
mentes mencionados con relac16n, en especial, al Codiqo de Derecho Ca
•n6nico. La Constitucion Exsul Familia se presenta como un documento
que, sin estar en contradicci6n con el Codigo, se propane dar una nor
mativa ordenada y completa sobre la pastoral de los emigrantes, reco
giendo, elaborando y adaptando las normas anteriores y agregando - en
• caso de necesidad - otras nuevas. Por 10 tanto, ordena nuevamente y
en forma completa, la materia; abroga las normativas anteriores y las
• substituye. El legislador ha efectuado una operacian analoga mediante
el Motu Proprio Pastoral is Migratorum Cura y la Instruccian De pasto
•rali migratorum cura. Esta, en efecto, de acuerdo con el Decreto
•Christus Dominus, nQ 18, da nuevas directrices para el cuidado pasto
ral de los emigrantes. Sin embargo, la Constitucian Exsul Familia no
puede considerarse del todo obsoleta: aunque haya side reemplazada,
en la parte normativa, por la Instruccian "De pastorali migratorum
• cura", sigue siendo un punta de referencia muy claro para la parte his
tarica y para los principios fundamentales que inspiraron las distin
• tas disposiciones. En ese mismo sentido se deben interpretar las s1
guientes palabras de la Carta "Iglesia y Movilidad Humana", nQ 28:
•
legislation and the particular legislation for pastoral care of migrants, it is the
universal legislation that must prevail as a matter of principle. The whole of these
documents constitutes a particular legislation through which, as we have seen
elsewhere, the Church has issued "a quasi parallel legislation with regard to' the
legislation of the Code which... is interpreted according to the needs of the
pastoral care of migrants. If it is true that, generally speaking, the Church's
directives concerning the pastoral care of migrants do not depart from the Code,
it is equally true that they lead the Code towards the pastoral needs: not
seldom... the canonical norms have been adapted, with admirable flexibility, to the
pastoral care of migrant people" (12).
In our exposition, we have to proceed in a rather synthetic way, presenting
the directives that are still valid for the pastoral care of migrants. According to
what has been said, we can refer either to the Code or to the documents that are
the source of the Code legislation.
A last preliminary remark is necessary: the documents touch the broad and
vast range of problems linked to the phenomenon of people on the move. We have
to limit our reflection to those aspects which concern directly and specifically the
pastoral care of migrants, that is the action through which the Church builds
herself in the context of migrations. We shall discuss the following points:
1. The Church has a specific pastoral care for migrants.
2. This pastoral work has its justification and explanation.
3. The whole People of God, priests, religious and laity, with their specific
and different roles, is entrusted with it.
4. It requires appropriate structures according to the various situations of time
and places.
I
The Church has a specific pasto:ra.l care for migrants
We must first of all clarify the pastoral concept of migrant, and then examine
the concept of specific pastoral care itself.
•••••••••••••••••••
- 5
"Dicho documento (E~sul familia) abarca todos los aspectos de la iti
nerancia, conser va su validez tambien hoy. De un tronco antiguo nacen
brotes nuevos" (DSS, 2448). Las normas principales de todos esos docu
mentos han entrado a hacer parte del nuevo Codigo de Derecho Canonico.
No nos parece que en este se haya querido ordenar, en forma radical,
la materia, dejando sin valor las anteriores disposiciones. Por el con
trario, al mantener las principales normas, se ha pretendido conservar
el valor normativo de las fuentes que las han inspirado, dandoles mayor
autoridad. Sin embargo, si se tiene en cuenta que la legislacion pecu
liar referente a la pastoral de los emigrantes nunca ha intentado opo
nerse 0 derogar la ley universal y general del Codigo, en caso de que
surgiera un conflicto entre la legislacion universal y la legislacion
particular de la pastoral migratoria, debera prevalecer - en principio
la legislacion universal. Todos estos documentos constituyen una legisla
cion especial mediante la cual, como 10 hemos podido observar en otra
parte, la Iglesia ha publicado "casi una legislacion paralela respecto
a la del Codigo que se interpreta segun las exigencias de la movili
dad humana. Si es verdad que, por 10 general, las directrices de la
Iglesia en el campo de la movilidad humana no derogan el Codigo, tam
bien es cierto que 10 orientan hacia las necesidades pastorales. A me
nudo los preceptos canonicos han sido adaptados con admirable flexibi
lidad al cuidado pastoral de los emigrantes" (12).
En nuestra exposicion, debemos proceder de manera mas bien sin
tetica al presentar las directrices que todavfa son validas en la pas
toral de los emigrantes. Podemos remitirnos, como 10 hemos dicho, tan
to al Codigo como a los documentos que han sido su fuente.
Habrfa que hacer una ultima observacion preliminar: los documen
tos se refieren a la amplia y vasta problematica de la movilidad hu
mana. Nosotros tendremos que limitarnos a los aspectos que - en forma
directa y especffica - conciernen el cuidado pastoral de los emigran
tes; a saber: la accion mediante la cual se va construyendo la Iglesia
en el campo de las migraciones.
6
.. _._---------
1. The pastoral concept of "migrant"
The Church's pastoral care is directed to the people in their concrete
situation, while keeping in mind, however, the pastoral needs deriving from each
situation. Sociologically different situations may present the same or similar
needs. The phenomenon of people on the move is very varied and may have
diversified causes and effects (13). From a pastoral point of view, a certain kind
of unification is possible. Thus, the documents of the Church divide the
phenomenon of people on the move between emigrants, sailors, travellers by air,
nomadic people, and tourists (DSS 2371-2375), although the list is not exhaustive.
Special directives have been issued for each category (14). But the sector for
which the Church has emphasized the need for a specific pastoral care is that of
the migrants. Not seldom exiles, refugees, sailors, airmen, and itinerants are
included in that category, but migrants are undoubtedly the analogatum princeps.
It is especially for them that the Church has elaborated on the pastoral notion.
The Instruction De Pastorali Migratorum Cura, 15, points out that the migratory
phenomena consist of various elements, and that migrants "differ greatly from one
another. Nevertheless, they are all in particular circumstances of life which are
greatly different from those to which they were accustomed in their homeland, with
the result that they cannot avail themselves of the assistance of the pastors of the
place. The Church, with maternal concern, strives to give these people proper
pastoral care". From this derives the following pastoral notion: "thus under the
pastoral arrangements ... we include as 'people who migrate' all those who live
outside their homeland or their own ethnic community and need special attention
because of real necessity" (DSS, 2004) (15).
2. The need for specific pastoral care
Before anything else, it must be said that when we speak of pastoral care,
we presuppose the existence of groups or communities of people who have common
needs. Because of their situation as persons living outside their homeland or
ethnic community, migrants usually cannot avail themselves of the pastoral
assistance provided by the Church to the faithful through the ministry of the
parish priest who presides over a community on territorial basis (Can. 515 and
518). The Church cannot leave to themselves the faithful she is unable to serve
- 6
••• Vamos a examinar los siguientes puntos:
1. La Iglesia tiene una pastoral especlfica para los emigrantes.
•2. Hay una justificacion y una explicacion para esa pastoral.•
•3. Esa misma pastoral ha sido confiada a todo el Pueblo de Dios
con funciones especlficas distintas, segun se trate de sacer
dotes, religiosos 0 laicos.
4. Tal pastoral requiere estructuras apropiadas, segun las dis
• tintas situaciones de tiempo y lugar.
•I.• La Iglesia tien~ una pastoral especffica para los emigrantes
• Habrla que precisar, ante todo, el concepto pastoral de mi
grante, y luego examinar 10 que es la pastoral especlfica.
••1. Concepto pastoral de "migrante"
La pastoral de la Iglesia se dirige a las personas en su situa
•cion concreta, teniendo presentes, sin embargo, las exigencias que se
desprenden de tal estado para el cuidado pastoral. Situaciones distin
tas desde un punta de vista sociologico pueden presentar exigencias
pastorales iguales 0 semejantes. El fenomeno de la movilidad humana
• esta lleno de matices y puede tener causas y objetivos muy diversifi
cados (13). Desde un punto de vista pastoral, es posible una cierta
••unificacion. As!, pues, los documentos de la Iglesia dividen el feno
meno de la movilidad humana en: emigrantes, gentes del mar, aeronave
gantes, nomadas y turistas (DSS, 2371-2375), si bien la clasificacion
•no queda agotada. La Iglesia ha dado directrices para cada grupo (14).
Pero el campo para el cual ha insistido en la necesidad de una pasto
ral espec!fica es el de los emigrantes; con frecuencia, en el estan
inclu!dos los desterrados, profugos, marinos, aeronavegantes y nomadas.
• Es indudable, desde luego, que los emigrantes siguen siendo el analo
gatum princeps. Para ellos, de manera especial, la Iglesia ha elaborado
•
7
,",,<jth her ordinary means. The Decree Chris tus DonD.nus, }8. recommends;
"Special concern should be shown for those members of the faithful who, on
account of their way of life are not adequately catered for by the ordinary pastoral
ministry of the parochial clergy or are entirely deprived of it. These include the
many migrants, exiles and refugees, sailors and airmen, itinerants and others of
this kindn (DSS, 1606). The Code (16), acknowledging these concerns,
recommends to the bishops (Can. 383, #1; DSS, 2811) to give special attention to
those nwho are not sufficiently able to benefit from ordinary pastoral caren ; and
to the parish priest (Can. 529, #1; DSS, 2819) to be especially diligent in seeking
out those who are exiled from their homeland. It then prescribes that, as far as
possible, chaplains be appointed llfor those who, because of their condition of life,
are not able to avail themselves of the ordinary care of parish priests" (Can. 568;
DSS 2821). Pastors, in particular are to be solicitous that the word of God is
preached to those of the faithful "who, because of the circumstances of their lives,
cannot sufficiently avail themselves of the ordinary pastoral care or are even
totally deprived of it ll (Can. 7'll, #1). The pastoral care which migrants need
will therefore be extraordinary (as against ordinary), and special or specific (as
against common).
3. What is the specificity of the pastoral care
The general guiding principle of the specific pastoral care of migrants is the
one we find more explicitly stated in Exsul Familia: "To offer aliens the religious
assistance appropriate to their needs, and not inferior to that available to other
Catholics in the dioceses" (DSS 1132). The ordinary pastoral care through which
the Church caters for the faithful is that of the parochial community ministered by
the parish priest. Therefore, where such pastoral care is not sufficient or totally
lacking, provision must be made, in adequate forms, for a specific and
extraordinary assistance. Since it is a question of pastoral ministry, it is clearly
and necessarily referred to a priest who should be able to meet the needs of the
migrants (DSS 324). He should be of the same language as the migrants (DSS
1042-1044). Since it is the language used to communicate with the recipient of the
Christian message, the Church recommends that, as far as possible, the priest be
of the same ethnic group as the migrants (DSS 1999). The solution of a priest
acquainted with the language only by learning is an expedient in the absence of
- 7
la nocion pastoral. En el nQ 15 de la Instruccion "De pastorali migra
torum cura", despues de haber subrayado que los fenomenos migratorios
estan compuestos de varios elementos y que los emigrantes, "aunque
constituyan categor1as humanas muy diversas entre sl, tienen en comun
condiciones de vida totalmente particulares que difieren mucho de aque
lIas a las que estaban acostumbrados en la patria, hasta el punta de
no poder recurrir, para la asistencia espiritual, a los parrocos del
lugar. Por esto la Iglesia se preocupa, con materna solicitud, de pres
tarles una oportuna asistencia pastoral" .•. resulta la siguiente no
cion pastoral del emigrante: "Precisamente, desde el punto de vista
pastoral ... estan comprendidos en el concepto de emigrantes todos aque
llos que, por cualquier motivo, viven fuera de su patria 0 de su comu
nidad etnica y necesitan verdaderamente de asistencia particular" (DSS,
2004) (15).
2. Necesidad de una cura pastoral espec1fica
Ante todo, hay que decir que cuando hablamos de pastoral supone
mos la existencia de grupos, 0 de comunidades de personas que tienen
en comun las mismas exigencias. El emigrante, por su situacion como
persona que vive fuera de su patria 0 de su comunidad etnica, no pue
de - por 10 general - aprovechar la pastoral ordinaria que la Iglesia
proporciona a los fieles a traves del ministerio del parroco que pre
side una comunidad en un territorio determinado (can. 515 y 518). La
Iglesia no puede abandonar a sf mismos a los fieles a quienes no pue
de llegar con metodos ordinarios. El Decreto Christus Dominus habfa
recomendado: "Tengase una preocupacion especial por los fieles que,
por su condicion de vida, no pueden disfrutar convenientemente del cui
•••••••
= •••••
dado pastoral ordinario de los parrocos, 0 carecen totalmente de el,
como son muchfsimos emigrantes, desterrados y profugos, navegantes y
aviadores, nomadas , etc." (DSS, 1606). El Codigo (16), acogiendo tales
instancias, recomienda al Obispo (can. 383, §1; DSS, 2811) que preste
especial atencion a aquellos que "no pueden obtener suficientemente
los frutos de la cura pastoral ordinaria"; y al parroco (can. 259, §1;
DSS, 2819), que ayude con prodiga caridad a los emigrantes. Establece,
8
other priests (DSS 2(59). But. the priest in charge of the pastoral cal'e of
migrants should also be able to effectively carry out his ministry and build the
Christian community - the Church - among migrants. The parish structures may
vary according to the different situations, but preference must be given to
structures suited to the purpose (DSS 2070-2072): to give migrants appropriate
pastoral care not inferior to that available to the other faithful. It should be kept
in mind that this pastoral work takes place within the Church itself, in communion
with and in obedience to the Bishop, who is also responsible for the diocesan
pastoral ministry, and in communion with the whole people of God (DSS 2075-2097).
By its very nature, the pastoral care of migrants is extraordinary and
temporary, precisely because it is specific and due to the fact that ordinary
pastoral care is either not sufficient or totally lacking. It is not alternative or
autonomous or opposed to the ordinary pastoral ministry carried out by the
parochial clergy. The parish priest remains responsible for the community of the
faithful, for all those who live in the territory of his parish (DSS 2058), except
that he is not in a position to adequately fulfill his pastoral ministry for the
portion of the community made up of migrants. This ministry is exercised, as long
as it is necessary, by another priest of the same language, and if possible of the
same ethnic group as the migrants, with his own personal authority cumulative
with that of the parish priest (DSS 2082-2089). The situation of a community or
group of faithful being catered for by both a territorial priest and another priest
of the same language and ethnic group is rather anomalous. But it is an anomaly
imposed by the objective reality and required by the good of the souls, which is
the supreme rule of any pastoral ministry. To belong to both the ethnic and the
territorial communities, as the Church provides for the migrants, means that the
Church has to adapt her structures to the service of the souls; in particular, it
means respecting the migrant and his spiritual heritage as well as the unity of his
family, and at the same time, it is an invitation to start a process of introduction,
albeit gradual, into the territorial parish community; it means to guarantee the
migrant's freedom to belong to his ethnic community as well as to become part of
the territorial community (17).
- 8
••ademas, que se constituyan, en la medida de 10 posible, capel lanes
"para aquellos que por su g~nero de vida no pueden gozar de la aten• cion parroquial ordinaria" (can. 568; DSS, 2821). Recomienda, en par
ticular, a los pastores, que anuncien la palabra de Dios a los fieles
"que por sus condiciones de vida no gocen suficientemente de 1a cura
pastoral comun y ordinaria, 0 carezcan totalmente de ella" (can. 771,
§1). La pastoral que necesitan los emigrantes sera, pues, extraordina
ria (en oposician a la ordinaria) y especial 0 especifica (en oposi
cion a la comun).
3. En qu~ consiste e1 caracter especifico de la pastoral
El principio general que orienta la pastoral espec{fica para los
emigrantes esta expresado, en su totalidad, en 1a Exsul familia: "Se
debe proporcionar a los emigrantes una asistencia espiritual que no
sea diferente, ni menor, que aquella de que gozan los otros fieles en
las diocesis" (DSS, 1132). La pastoral ordinaria con que la Iglesia
asiste a sus fieles es aquella de la comunidad parroquial, realizada
a traves del parroco. AlII donde esa pastoral es insuficiente, 0 falta
del todo, habra que proveer, de manera adecuada, con una pastoral es
peclfica y extraordinaria. Tratandose de una pastoral, ~sta se remite
clara y necesariamente a un sacerdote que este en capacidad de satis
facer las necesidades de los emigrantes (DSS, 324). Debera ser un sa
cerdote que hable el mismo idioma de los emigrantes (DSS, 1042-1044).
Al tratarse de una lengua en la que se comunica al destinatario el
mensaje cristiano, la Iglesia recomienda - en cuanto sea posible - que
el sacerdote pertenezca al mismo grupo etnico del emigrante (DSS, 1999).
La solucian a traves de un sacerdote que conoce el idioma, solo por
haberlo aprendido, es un repliegue por falta de otros sacerdotes (DSS,
2059). El sacerdote encargado de la pastoral de los emigrantes debera
poder llevar a cabo eficazmente su ministerio, y edificar la comunidad
cristiana - la Iglesia - entre los emigrantes. Las estructuras pasto
rales podran variar, segun las situaciones, pero habra que elegir las
mas adecuadas para lograr el objetivo (DSS, 2070-2072); a saber: pro
porcionar a los emigrantes una pastoral apropiada, que no sea inferior
a la que reciben los demas fieles. Hay que tener presente que dicha
9
II
Justification and explanation of the specific pastoral care
1. The starting point of the specific pastoral care
It is an obvious and elementary observation. An individual who is outside
his homeland or ethnic community feels cut off from communication: he is uprooted,
disconcerted. The repercussions are felt at the level of faith and religious
practice too (DSS 1984 ff). In general, migrants are not acquainted with the
language of their host country, or, if they have any knowledge of it, it is usually
not sufficient to master it. In any case, they are outside the cultural context of
the new people among whom they now find themselves. The relationship with the
local priest and, through him, with the Christian community in which they live,
is difficult or even impossible. In the event of a large migrant community, they
are unable to avail themselves of the priest's ministry to practice their faith,
especially if, as is often the case, they are threatened also from the outside. For
such community, a specific pastoral care must be set up, with extraordinary and,
in any case, adequate means to cope with the situation (18).
This was the prevailing orientation of the Church's interventions before the
Council. We find an echo of it especially in the Constitution Exsul Familia. The
lack of ordained ministers causes serious harm to the faith, whereas their presence
gives it nourishment and strength (DSS 1033-34). On that line, among others, is
the norm of the 1215 4th Lateran Council, which enjoined the Bishops to provide
"the proper men, who will celebrate the Liturgical Functions according to their
rites and languages. They will administer the Sacraments of the Church and
instruct their people both by word and by deed" (DSS 1047).
However, the assistance through a specific pastoral care is considered as
something extraordinary which should cease as soon as possible. Thus, in the
Constitution Exsul Familia, the subjects of a special pastoral care are only the
migrants of the first and second generation (DSS 1222-1224).
••••••••I
- 9
pastoral se rea1iza en el interior de la Iglesia, en comunion y obe
diencia a1 Obispo, quien es el responsable de la pastoral diocesana,
y tambien en comunion con todo el pueblo de Dios (DSS, 2075-2097).
La pastoral de los emigrantes es, por su misma naturaleza, extra
ordinaria y provisional, precisamente por 10 que es especffica y se
debe al hecho que la pastoral ordinaria es insuficiente 0 falta del
todo. No es una alternativa, ni es autonoma; ni tampoco se opone a la
pastoral ordinaria que lleva a cabo el parroco en la comunidad parro
quial. El parroco es siempre el responsable de la comunidad de sus
fieles, de todos los que viven en el territorio de la parroquia (DSS,
2058), pero no esta en capacidad de realizar un ministerio pastoral
con los emigrantes. Este es encomendado - mientras sea necesario - a
un sacerdote que hable el mismo idioma que los emigrantes y - posible
mente, que pertenezca al mismo grupo etnico, con autoridad personal
y cumulativa con la del parroco (DSS, 2082-2088). La situacion de una
comunidad 0 grupo de fieles que ha sido confiado - contemporaneamente
al cuidado pastoral de un parroco territorial y a un sacerdote que
habla el mismo idioma y pertenece al mismo grupo etnico es mas bien
anomala. Pero se trata de una anomalfa impuesta por la realidad obje
tiva y que se hace necesaria por el bien de las almas, suprema regIa
de toda pastoral. La doble pertenencia a la comunidad etnica y a la
territorial, que la Iglesia contempla en 10 que se refiere a los emi
grantes, significa que Ella debe adaptar las estructuras al servicio
de las almas; en particular, quiere decir respeto por el emigrante y
su patrimonio espiritual, como tambien por la unidad de su familia y
- al mismo tiempo - una invitacion a que este comience un camino de
integracion, aunque sea gradual, en la comunidad parroquial territorial;
significa afianzar al emigrante en su libertad de pertenecer a la co
munidad etnica y, al mismo tiempo, de integrarse en aquella territo
rial (17).
III'
10
2. Valorization of the cultural heritage
The reflection about the pastoral care of migrants was to give it a more solid
foundation. Even knowing that in more sensitive and sagacious souls this
reflection had already begun long ago, it undeniably flourished especially with the
Ecumenical Council Vatican II and its suggestions about missionary activity in the
Decree Ad Gentes, its ecclesiological meditations in the Constitution Lumen
Gentium, and the deeper examination of the relation between faith and culture in
the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Gaudium et Spes.
Thus, we arrive at the formulation found among others in the Instruction De
Pastorali Migratorum Cura, 11, concerning the cultural heritage of the migrants.
"Migrating people bring with them their own mentality, their own language, their
own culture, their own religion. All these things are parts of a certain spiritual
heritage of opinions, traditions and culture which will perdure outside the
homeland. Let it be prized highly everywhere.
Not least in its right to consideration is the mother tongue of emigrant
people, by which they express their mentality, thoughts, culture and spiritual
life.
Since these last are the natural media for knowing and opening the inner
man, the care of migrating people will indeed bear fruit if it is carried out by
persons who know them well, i. e., the mentality, thoughts, culture, and spiritual
life, and who are fully proficient in the people's language: "Therefore, it appears
obvious and valid to maintain the practice of providing pastoral care to migrants
through priests of their own language, and this as long as usefulness indicates"
(DSS 1997-1999). If the cultural heritage is really an inalienable value of the
individual, the Church cannot ask for the renunciation of that heritage as the
prize for expressing and practicing one's faith. In particular, the language has
a great and even primary importance as expression of the heritage itself: it is not
so much and principally a question of knowing the phonetics or the grammatical
structure, but rather of possessing it as spiritual and cultural inheritance: it is
the native or mother tongue which, even if not known in syntactic perfection, is
nonetheless part of one's life and being: faith was acquired, grew, and took form
through it. In the Motu Proprio Pastoralis Migratorum Cura, Pope Paul VI, after
- 10 I I
I I
I I
I
I
II. Justificacion y explicaclon de la pastoral espec{flca
1. Punto de partida de la pastoral espec!fica
Se trata de una constatacion obvia y elemental: la persona que
se encuentra lejos de su patria y de la propia comunidad etnica se
halla como ajena a toda comunicacion, desarraigada y desorientada. Las
repercusiones de esto se sienten tambien en la fe y en la practica re
ligiosa (D5S, 1984 Y sigs.). El emigrante, por 10 general, no conoce
el idioma del pals que 10 acoge, y si 10 sabe, no 10 domina 10 sufi
ciente. De todas maneras, se encuentra por fuera del contexto cultural
del nuevo pueblo con el que va a compartir su vida. Las relaciones con
el parroco del lugar y - a traves de este - con la comunidad cristiana
adonde llega a vivir, son diflciles e incluso imposibles. 5i se trata
de una comunidad numerosa,ella no esta en las condiciones de aprove
char el ministerio del parroco para vivir su propia fe, especialmente
si - como suele suceder - se ve amenazada tambien desde fuera. Habra
que proporcionar a tal comunidad una pastoral especlfica, con medios
extraordinarios y, de todas maneras, adecuados a la situacion (18).
Esta es, sobre todo, la perspectiva desde la cual actua la Igle
sia antes del Concilio. En la Constitucion Exsul familia se notan los
ecos de esto. La escasez de ministros sagrados causa graves perjulcios
a la fe, mientras su presencia la alimenta y la forti fica (DSS, 1033
1034). En esta misma lInea se situa, en especial, la prescripcion del
Concilio Lateranense IV de 1215 por la cual se imponIa a los obispos
que pusieran a disposicion "personas idoneas para los fieles de dis
tinta lengua y rito, que celebraran los oficios divinos segun los dl
versos idiomas y ritos, administraran los sacramentos y los instruye
ran, tanto con la palabra como con el ejemplo" (DSS, 1047).
La asistencia mediante una cura pastoral espec!fica es conside
rada, sin embargo, como algo extraordinario que debe cesar cuanto an
tes. ASI pues, el objeto de la cura pastoral especlfica, para la Cons
titucion Exsul familia, son solo los emigrantes de la primera y la se
gunda generacion (055, 1222-1224).
11
mentioning the Decree Christus Dominus, 18, goes.on saying: nNow, it is easy to
understand that it is not possible to fulfill effectively this pastoral care if the
spiritual patrimony and the special culture of the migrants is not taken into due
account. In this respect, the national language in which they express their
thoughts, their mentality and their very religious life is of great importance" (DSS
1975). In that perspective, we understand why the theme of the respect for the
migrants' cultural heritage is sometimes linked to the great theme of the relation
between culture and faith on the one hand, and evangelization, which the Church
is called to carry out, on the other hand (DSS 2390) .
From that broader perspective, a number of consequences can easily be
identified.
3. Consequences
1) A first consequence is that the specific pastoral care can not be seen in
the perspective of an anomaly that has to be tolerated for the shortest possible
time, for example until the second generation, as prescribesd by the Constitution
Exsul Familia. The Instruction "De Pastorali Migratorum Cura", draws from the
valorization of the spiritual heritage, and from the right to express and sustain
the faith in one's mother tongue, the conclusion that such a pastoral care must
be continued as long as usefulness indicates, without limitation of time or
generations.
2) A second consequence is that any attempt of compulsory assimilation or
integration of migrants into the ecclesial structures has to be rejected; the correct
attitude on the part of the Church should be one of welcome, hospitality, and
freedom: all this will help to overcome even the remotest suspicion of nationalism.
a) We would like to make clear what we mean by assimilation and integration.
The adjective "compulsory" used to specify the two terms, helps to illustrate the
thinking emeging from the documents of the Church. Both words may well express
the positive meaning of a process which, sooner or later, has to have its point of
arrival in the full insertion of the migrants into their new community, both from
a civil and from an ecclesial point of view. But such a conclusion must be the
••••••••
•••••••
- 11
2. Valorizacion del patrimonio cultural
La reflexion sobre la cura pastoral de los emigrantes iba a lle
var a construir cimientos mas profundos. Aunque se sabia que habia co
menzado, desde hacia largo tiempo, por parte de personas especialmente
sensibles y perspicaces, no se puede negar que el momento mas ilumina
do de esta reflex ion fue el Concilio Ecumenico Vaticano II, con sus
indicaciones sobre la actividad misionera en el Decreto Ad gentes, sus
meditaciones eclesiologicas en la Constitucion Lumen gentium y la pro
fundizacion sobre 10 que son la fe y la cultura en la Constitucion
pastoral sobre la Iglesia en el mundo actual, Gaudium et spes. Llega
mos, entonces, a la formulacion que encontramos - en particular - en
la Instruccion "De pastorali migratorum cura", nQ 11, con relacion al
patrimonio cultural de los emigrantes: "Los emigrantes llevan consigo
su mentalidad, su lengua, su cultura y su religion. Todo esto consti
tuye un patrimonio, por decirlo asi, espiritual de pensamiento, de
tradiciones y de cultura, que perdurara tambien fuera de la patria.
Por 10 mismo, debe ser estimado grandemente en todas partes".
En este campo, la lengua materna reclama elementos de reflexion
que no dejan de ser importantes. A traves de ella, los emigrantes ex
presan sus disposiciones mentales y sus formas de pensamiento y de
cultura, como tambien su vida espiritual.
Al ser todo 10 anterior el medio natural y el camino para cono
cer 10 mas Intimo del hombre y poder penetrar en el, la cura pastoral
de los emigrantes dara, sin lugar a dudas, frutos abundantes, si es
proporcionada por aquellos que saben bien todo esto y dominan correc
tamente, en todo sentido, el idioma de los emigrantes: "es evidente,
por 10 tanto, y queda confirmada la praxis de que la cura pastoral de
los emigrantes debe ser realizada por sacerdotes cuyo ipioma sea el
mismo de los emigrantes y durante todo el tiempo que esto sea ~til"
(D55, 1997-1999). 5i el patrimonio espiritual es un valor inalienable
de la persona, la Iglesia no puede pedir que se renuncie a tal patri
monio como precio para poder expresar y practicar la propia fe. En
particular, el idioma ocupa un lugar importante, e incluso primario,
12
point of arrival of a free exercise on the part of the migrant in the course of the
generations.
In that perspective, we may understand assimilation and integration in the
same positive sense: after a longer or shorter process, the migrant may - and he
will have to - be fully inserted into the host community; but without any undue
pressure to accelerate that process, forcing him to repudiate his cultural and
spiritual heritage. No pressure can be accepted neither on the part of the civil
society, nor and even less so, on the part of the ecclesial community. Therefore,
assimilation or integration understood as a coercive process directed towards the
insertion of migrants into the indigenous society so as to make them lose as soon
as possible their own cultural identity and absorb that of the host country or
nation, have to be rejected. They should be even more strongly rejected if they
are expressed through pressure to induce migrants to abandon their faith or the
moral behavior derived from it.
In his address to Italian diocesan delegates for migrants, Pope Pius XII said
that the missionary will have to watch with acute spirit of observation to prevent
false doctrines and perverse customs to be taken up by the emigrants under the
pretext of adapting to local circumstances. Where the host country has the
intention of promoting the so-called assimilation of aliens, the missionary will
endeavor to prevent this to be done at the expense of the natural rights or by
damaging the religious and moral values which are often closely linked to the
native traditions (DSS 1392). The insertion of migrants into the local community
has to occur gradually and freely, by a natural process in which the values and
the culture of the host country are not seen as a contradiction or in contrast with
one's cultural and spiritual heritage. John Paul II, in an address to the migrants
of Curitiba, on July 6, 1980, mentions this assimilation or integration. Concerning
the emigration in Brazil he wondered whether there were another country where
assimilation or integration occurred more naturally. He thought that it was
impossible, for he had not seen, in other parts, emigrants, their children and
grand-children so closely tied to their new land without, at the same time,
repudiating their country of origin (DSS 2633).
•••••••••••••••••••
- 12
como expresion de ese mismo patrimonio; no se trata tanto, y principal
mente, de conocer la fonetica 0 la estructura gramatical, sino de po
seerla como patrimonio espiritual y cultural: el idioma de la patria,
o lengua materna, - aunque no se conozca en la perfeccion de la sin
taxis - hace parte de la propia vida y del propio serj a traves de la
lengua ha nacido, ha crecido y se ha formado tambien la fee En el Motu
Proprio "Pastoralis Migratorum Cura", el Papa Pablo VI - despues de
haber recordado el Decreto Christus Dominus, nQ 18, dice: "Ahora se
comprende facilmente que no es posible llevar a cabo de manera eficaz
esta cura pastoral, si no se tienen en su deb ida cuenta el patrimonio
espiritual y la cultura propia de los emigrantes. Al respecto, tiene
gran importancia la lengua nacional a traves de la cual ellos expresan
sus pensamientos , su mentalidad y su misma vida religiosa" (DSS, 1975).
Desde esta perspectiva, se entiende por que, a veces, el tema del res
peto por el patrimonio cultural del emigrante se relaciona con el te
rna de los nexos entre la cultura y la fe, por una parte, y la evange
lizacion que la Iglesia esta llamada a realizar, por otra (DSS, 2390).
Desde esta optica, par 10 tanto, se pueden deducir facilmente algunas
consecuencias.
3. Consecuencias
1) La primera consecuencia, es que la pastoral espec1fica no
puede considerarse como si fuera una anomal[a que se ha de tolerar
por el menor tiempo posible, por ejemplo, hasta la segunda generacion,
como 10 indicaba la Exsul familia. La Instruccion "De Pastorali Migra
torum Cura" - precisamente debido a la valorizacion del patrimonio
cultural y del derecho a expresar y a alimentar la propia fe en la
lengua materna - concluye que esa pastoral debe seguirse hasta que
sea util, sin l[mites de tiempo ni de generaciones.
2) Una segunda consecuencia es que se debe rechazar cualquier
tentativa de asimilacion 0 de integracion forzada de los emigrantes
en las estructuras eclesiales; la actitud correcta que debera asumir
la Iglesia sera de acoglda, hospitalidad y Ilbertad; todo esto debera
ayudar a superar Incluso la mera sospecha de nacionalismo.
13
Pope Paul VI is opposed to compulsory assimilation, and denounces the
purely directive and demagogic methods applied for this purpose, recommending
that they be definitively proscribed (DSS 2227).
Pressure for compulsory assimilation or integration on the part of the
ecclesial community does in fact occur when it fails to provide a specific pastoral
care for migrants according to the instructions of the Church, or when it is
reduced to a minimum for fear that the migrant community might acquire an
identity of its own and delay its assimilation or integration.
But if the process of assimilation or integration has not to be forced, neither
should it be speciously delayed or repressed for nationalistic reasons. If the host
country has to show openness, respect and welcome, no prior rejection and self
ghettoization could be justified on the part of the migrant community. The "De
Pastorali Migratorum cura" reminds of the migrants' duties to have esteem for the
"patrimony, language, and customs" of the host country (DSS 1995); therefore,
they should accommodate themselves to their host communities, hasten to learn
their languages so that if their residence there turns out to be long or even
definitive, they may be able to be integrated more easily into the new society:
however, this integration will occur positively and effectively if it is done
gradually and spontaneously, without any compulsion or hindrance (DSS 1995).
Special understanding will have to be shown for those people who have been forced
to leave their homeland because of ideological or political reasons, or were
deported (DSS 1996).
Therefore, insertion, assimilation or integration should be a process
developed in cooperation between the host and the arriving communities through
a gradual progress and mutual respect. The responsibility for this mutual
understanding and cooperation, says Paul VI, falls above all on the pastors of the
respective communities (DSS 2227).
While on the one hand the Church recognizes and promotes a specific
pastoral care of migrants that respects their spiritual and cultural heritage, on the
other hand, she does not fail to point out the dangers that might threaten the
•••••••••••••••••••
- 13
a) Quisieramos precisar 10 que entendemos por asimilacion e integra
cion. El adjetivo "forzada", con que hemos calificado los dos terminos,
ayuda a aclarar el pensamiento que se destaca en los documentos de la
Iglesia. Las dos palabras que se han utilizado pueden, en efecto, ex
presar el sentido positivo de un camino que - antes 0 despues - debera
culminar en la insercion, con todo derecho, de los emigrantes, en la
nueva comunidad, tanto desde un punto de vista civil como eclesial.
Pero esa conclusion debera ser el punto de llegada del ejercicio de
la libertad por parte del emigrante, a traves de las generaciones.
Desde este punta de vista, podemos entender la asimilacion y la
integracion en el mismo sentido positivo; el emigrante, a traves de
un camino mas 0 menos largo, podra y debera llegar a su plena integra
cion en la comunidad que Ie recibe; pero no sera posible, ni habra que
ejercer presiones indebidas sobre el para acelerar ese proceso, obli
gandolo a renegar de su propio patrimonio cultural y espiritual. Estas
presiones no pueden ser aceptadas por la sociedad civil, ni tampoco,
y mucho menos, por la comunidad eclesial. 5e deberan rechazar, por
consiguiente, la asimilacion 0 la integracion como proceso de coaccion
cuyo objeto es integrar a los emigrantes en la sociedad indfgena para
que pierdan, 10 mas pronto posible, su identidad cultural y absorban,
cuanto antes, aquella del pafs 0 nacion que les recibe. Aun mas, ha
brfa que rechazar tal asimilacion 51 se manlflesta como una presIon J
hacia los emigrantes para que abandonen su propla fe 0 el comporta
mlento moral que de ella se desprende.
Plo XII, en su alocuclon a los delegados dlocesanos Itallanos
para los emlgrantes, dec!a: [1 mlslonero "velara con agudo esp!rltu
de observaclon para Impedlr que las falsas doctrlnas y las malas cos
tumbres penetren en los emlgrados so pretexto de que ellos se adaptan
a las clrcunstanclas locales. Cuando el pais de acoglda se proponga
promover la llamada aslmllaclon de los extranjeros, el mlslonero hara
todo 10 poslble para que esto no se haga en menoscabo de los derechos
naturales 0 con perjulclo de los valores rellglosos y morales, con
frecuencla estrechamente vlnculados a las tradlclones patrlas" (055,1392).
14
unity and the communion, should the specific pastoral care, although neeessary,
be organized in contrast to the local Christian community, against or outside the
obedience to the Bishop, and in a spirit of division. Paul VI is aware of it in the
Motu Proprio "pastoralis Migratorum Cura": "It must be avoided that these
diversities and adaptations in accordance with the various ethnical groups, even
though legitimate, result in harm to that unity to which all are called in the
Church ... " (DSS 1975).
b) In this perspective, respect of the migrants' cultural and spiritual patrimony
has nothing to do with certain degenerated forms of nationalism. It must be
admitted that in some cases the pastoral care of migrants did not escape that
danger. The terminology may have contributed to it; not seldom do we find in the
documents the expression, language of the !I nation" . But whenever that
expression could have taken doubtful connotations, the Church was prompt in
avoiding it, and has always put more emphasis on the rights of the persons and
respect of their cultural and spiritual heritage. However, it should be made clear
that this heritage deserves respect not because it is more important, richer, or
more developed than others, but simply because it is the heritage of an individual
or a community. In itself, it is not a patrimony to be defended at any cost; but
it is the way in which a person presents himself and should be welcome and
accepted. But all this requires further deep reflection in a more properly
theological dimension, the subject of which is the very nature of the Church and
her mission.
4. The respect of the cultural and spiritual heritage in the mystery of the Church
A true and well-founded pastoral care cannot but have a sound
ecclesiological basis (19). Let us therefore dwell on it for a while, even if briefly,
in order to do better justice to the specificity of the pastoral care of migrants
indicated in the directives of the ecclesial authorities. After a few general
reflections about the Church, we shall examine the particular Churches, Le. the
dioceses.
1) The Church, mystery of communion that builds herself in the Eucharist.
Although she exists in this world and is organized in a visible manner
according to the needs expressed by the historical situation, the Church has a
•••••••••••••••••••
- 14
La integracion de los emigrantes en la comunidad local debera llevarse
a cabo en forma gradual y libre, a traves de un proceso natural en el
cual los valores y la cultura del pals que recibe no se consideren
contradictorios y opuestos al propio patrimonio cultural y espiritual.
Juan Pablo II habla de esa asimilacion 0 integracion en un discurso
a los emigrantes de Curitiba, el 6 de julio de 1980. Con relacion a
la inmigracion en el Brasil, el dice: ""Habra otro pals donde la asi
milacion 0 la integracion del emigrado se realice con igual naturali
dad? Es imposible que se lleve a cabo con mayor naturalidad que en
este pals. No creo haber visto, en otras partes, a los emigrantes y
a sus hijos y nietos tan apegados a la tierra que los ha acogido ...
y al mismo tiempo no desconocen el pals de origen" (DSS, 2633).
Se opone a la asimilacion forzada el Papa Pablo VI que denuncia
los metodos "meramente directivos 0 demagogicos" que llevan a ella,
y recomienda su proscripcion definitiva (DSS, 2227).
Por parte de la comunidad eclesial, se nota una verdadera pre
sion a la asimilacion 0 a la integracion forzadas, cuando no se brin
da a los emigrantes una pastoral especlfica segun las directrices de
la Iglesia, 0 se reduce esta al mlnimo, precisamente por el temor de
que la comunidad de los emigrantes adquiera su propia identidad y re
trase su insercion y, por consiguiente, su asimilacion 0 integracion.
El proceso de asimilacion 0 integracion no se debe forzar inde
bidamente, pero tampoco se puede retardar 0 frenar aparentemente por
motivos nacionalistas. La comunidad que recibe debera dar prueba de
respeto y acogida a la comunidad de emigrantes; perc a estos ultimos
no se les deberan justificar rechazos apriorfsticos ni el encierre en
sf mismos. La "De pastorali migratorum cura" recuerda a los emigrantes
la obligacion que tienen de apreciar tIel patrimonio, la lengua y las
costumbres" de los pafses que les reciben (DSS, 1995); por consiguien
te, deberan adaptarse a las comunidades que los acogen y aprender
pronto el idioma, de manera que si su estadfa se prolonga 0 llega a
ser definitiva, ellos puedan insertarse mas facilmente en la nueva
15
purpose that transcends history. Her mission is not "in the political, economic or
social order" (GS 42). She is not linked to any culture, or particular interest,
or people, but, being born from the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, she is
"sacrament of salvation", that is to say, "a sign and instrument of communion with
God and of unity among all men" (LG 1). She is called to realize more and more
her catholicity, her identity as people of the New Alliance, who "speaks every
language, understands and embraces all tongues in charity, and thus overcomes
the dispersion of Babel" (AG 4). She is the Church of the Trinity. She presents
herself as "a people brought into unity from the unity of the Father, the Son and
the Holy Spirit" (LG 4). "All men are called to belong to the new People of God"
which, "whilst remaining one and only one, is to be spread throughout the whole
world and to all ages" (LG 13). It is "present in all the nations of the earth"
(ib.), and all faithful "scattered throughout the world are in communion with each
other in the Holy Spirit" so that "he who dwells in Rome knows those in most
distant parts to be his members" (ib.). Since the Kingdom of Christ is not of this
world "the Church or People of God which establishes this Kingdom does not take
away anything from the temporal welfare of any people. Rather, she fosters and
takes to herself, in so far as they are good, the abilities, the resources and
customs of peoples. In so taking them to herself she purifies, strengthens and
elevates them. .. This character of universality which adorns the People of God is
a gift from the Lord Himself whereby the Catholic Church ceaselessly and
efficaciously seeks for the return of all humanity and all its goods under Christ
the Head in the unity of his Spirit. In virtue of this catholicity each part
contributes its own gifts to other parts and to the whole Church, so that the whole
and each of the parts are strengthened by the common sharing of all things and
by the common effort to attain to fullness in unity" (LG 13). Fullness of unity
guaranteed by the dead and risen Christ who came to gather in unity, through the
redeeming sacrifice, the dispersed children of God (John 11, 51-52); a unity
constantly built by the Eucharist and in the Eucharist, in which "is contained the
whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself our Pasch and the living
bread which gives life to men through his flesh - that flesh which is given life and
gives life through the Holy Spirit. Thus men are invited and led to offer
themselves, their works and all creation with Christ. For this reason the
Eucharist appears as the source and the summit of all preaching of the Gospel",
•••••••
- 15
sociedad. Tal insercion, sin embargo, se podra realizar de manera po
sitiva y eficaz, si se lleva a cabo en forma gradual y espontanea,
excluyendo toda forma de coaccion y de obstaculos (DSS, 1995). En es
pecial se debera observar ese respeto por aquellos que han tenido que
emigrar por motivos ideologicos 0 pollticos, porque han sido desterra
dos (DSS, 1996).
La insercion, pues, la asimilacion 0 la integracion, debera ser
un proceso que habra de realizarse con la colaboracion de ambas comu
nidades: la que recibe y la que llega, en un camino gradual y de mutuo
respeto. La responsabilidad de esa reclproca comprension y colabora
cion incumbe - segun Pablo VI - sobre todo a los pastores de las res
pectivas comunidades (DSS, 2227).
Si, por una parte, la Iglesia reconoce y promueve una pastoral
especlfica para los emigrantes, respetando su patrimonio espiritual
y cultural, por otro lado no deja de subrayar los peligros que pueden
constituir una amenaza para la unidad y la comunion cuando la pastoral
especlfica, aun siendo necesaria, se organiza en contraposicion a la
comunidad cristiana local, desobedeciendo al Obispo 0 en medio de la
division. Lo advierte Pablo VI en el Motu Proprio "Pastoral is Migra
torum Cura": liSe debe evitar que estas diversidades, y las adaptacio
nes segun los distintos grupos etnicos, aunque sean legltimas, perju
diquen la unidad a la que todos estan llamados en la Iglesia ••• " (DSS,
1975).
b) Desde esta perspectiva, el respeto por el patrimonio cultural y es
piritual de los emigrantes no tiene nada que ver con ciertas formas
decadentes de nacionalismo. Se debe admitir que, a veces, la pastoral
de los emigrantes no ha podido evitar ese peligro. Puede que a esto
haya ayudado la terminologla. Con frecuencia, en los documentos se en
cuentra la expresion "lengua de la nacion". Pero todas las veces que
esa palabra ha podido asumir connotaciones equfvocas, la Iglesia se
ha apresurado a evitarla, dando cada vez mas importancia a los dere
chos de las personas y al respeto por el patrimonio cultural y espiritual.
16
and of all apostolate (PO 5).
From the awareness of the innate universality of her nature and function,
the Church knows well that within her organism "no one can be considered a
stranger or just a guest, or in any way on the fringe of things" (DSS 2452). The
Catholic Church, of which Rome is the center, is supernatural by its very essence
(DSS 946; cf. also DSS 851). To no member of the mystic Body of Christ does she
ask for his passport before resolving to take him into the life of the community
and share with him her spiritual goods and her affection, said Pope Pius XII to the
diocesan delegates for emigration in 1957 (DSS 1395). And again Pius XII, in his
speech on Christmas Eve 1945 said that the Church is a mother, Sancta Mater
Ecclesia, a true mother, the mother of all nations and of all peoples, not less than
of all single individuals, and precisely because she is a mother, she does not and
cannot belong exclusively to this or that people, nor more to one people and less
to another, but to all in equal measure. She is mother, and therefore she is not
and cannot be stranger in any place. (DSS 946).
In particular, the Church identifies herself with a people on the move, like
the one involved in the phenomenon of mobility. "The Church, sign and
instrument of communion with God and unity among men, feels herself to be closely
involved in the evolution of civilization, of which mobility is a striking feature,
and questions herself about the demands made on her presence in this new world,
a world which, in a certain sense, reflects her own personality as a pilgrim on the
face of the earth" (DSS 2394).
2) The particular Church in which the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church
presents herself and operates.
The one and only Catholic Church exists in and from the particular churches
(Can. 368). Pope Paul VI, in the Apostolic Exhortation "Evangelii Nuntiandi", 42,
reminds us that the universal Church should not be conceived as the sum or the
more or less anomalous federation of essentially different individual churches. By
Divine Will, the Church, which is universal by vocation and mission, takes on the
external aspects and appearances when she puts down her roots in a variety of
cultural, social and human terrains. Any particular church that would voluntarily
cut itself off from the universal Church would lose its relationship to God's plan
- 16 •••
Hay que precisar, sin embargo, que ese patrimonio merece respeto, no
por ser mas importante, mas rico 0 mas desarrollado que otros, sino•porque pertenece a una persona 0 a una comunidad. En sf mismo no se
ha de defender 0 preservar a toda costa; pero es la forma en que se
• presenta la persona y, por tanto, debe ser acogida y aceptada. Todo
esto exige una ulterior profundizacion en una dimension mas teologica
• cuyo objeto de reflex ion es la naturaleza misma de la Iglesia y su
mision.
• 4. El respeto por el patrimonio cultural y espiritual en el misterio
de la Iglesia
Una pastoral autentica y que este solidamente fundada, no puede
menos de tener una base eclesiologica segura (19). Por 10 tanto, ten
dremos que detenernos - aunque brevemente - en elld para reconocer,
de manera mas fundamental, el caracter especlfico de la pastoral para
los emigrantes que propone la autoridad eclesiastica en sus directri
ces. Despues de algunas reflexiones de orden general sobre la Iglesia,
pasaremos a las Iglesias particulares que son las diocesis.
1) La Iglesia, misterio y comunion que se edifica en la Eucaristla.
La Iglesia, aunque subsista en este mundo y este organizada de
• manera visible segun las exigencias de la situacion historica, tiene
un fin que trasciende la historia. La mision de la Iglesia "no es de
•I
••I orden pol!tico, economico 0 social" (GS, 42). Ella no esta vinculada
a ninguna cultura, a ningun interes particular, ni a ningun pueblo.
Nacida del EspIritu en el dIa de Pentecostes, es "sacramento de Salva
cion", 0 sea "sei'lal e instrumento de la Intima union con Dios y de
la unidad de todo el genero humano" (LG, 1). Esta llamada a realizar,
cada vez mas, su catolicidad, su identidad de pueblo de la nueva alian
za "que habla en todas las lenguas, entiende y abarca todas las lenguas
• en la caridad y supera de esta forma la dispersion de Babel" (AG, 4).
Es la Iglesia de la Trinidad. Ella se manifiesta como "una muchedumbre
•reunida por la unidad del Padre y del Hijo y del EspIritu Santo" (LG, 4).
"Todos los hombres son llamados a formar parte del Pueblo de Oios.
•
~.., I1.(
and would be impoverished in its ecclesial dimension" (DSS 2266, 2273). Thus, we Iunderstand the definition of a diocese given by the Council in th8 Decree
1l Christus Dominus", 11, as "section of the People of God entrusted to a bishop to
be guided by him with the assistance of his clergy so that, loyal to its pastor and J formed by him into the community in the Holy Spirit through the Gospel and the
Eucharist, it constitutes one particular church in which the one, holy, catholic and J apostolic Church is truly present and active" (DSS 1603). This definition is
literally taken up by the new Code and constitutes Canon 369. Therefore, the I particular Church is simply the localization and concretization of the one Church
of Christ, the universal Church. Again Paul VI, in the same Apostolic Exhortation J
"Evangelli Nuntiandi", comments: "But, at the same time, a Church toto orbe
diffusa would become an abstraction if she did not take body and life precisely
through the individual Churches" (DSS 2267). Through these the one, holy, J catholic and apostolic Church is present and functions. Properly speaking,
therefore, there are not many churches but only one, the only Church of Christ
which actualizes, manifests and realizes herself through the particular churches.
Consequently, the particularity of these churches is not that one part is in
contrast with the whole, or constitutes the whole together with the other parts,
but that the whole, the Church of Christ, realizes itself in the part which is a
portion of the People of God when that portion, through the powerful action of the
Holy Spirit, makes Christ really present in' his Church in the Eucharistic
celebration and in the announcement of the Word, under the presidency of the
Bishop in communion with the Pope, guarantor of the apostolic succession, and jwith his presbytery. Therefore, the characteristics of universality and catholicity
are an essential part of each particular Church, in communion with the Church jspread throughout the world. Consequently, the individual Church should be
open to all and relive within herself simply the mystery of the Church and of her I
Founder: "In this way she relives once more the mystery of her Divine FOunder, J
the mystery of life and death. There was a time when, in order to come to grips
with the pagan world she had to try and shed her Jewish traits; to meet the
barbarians halfway, she abandoned the imprint made on her by the Roman
mentality; in order to be at the service of the whole of mankind she has tried to
be open to all cultures" (Church and People on the Move, 8; DSS 2395). This is
the perspective in which we have to place ourselves in order to grasp the deeper
I
•••••••••••••••••
- 17
•
Por 10 cual este Pueblo siendo uno y unico, ha de abarcar el mundo
entero y todos los tiempos" (LG, 13). Este pueblo se compone "de todas
las gentes de la tierra" (ibid.) y "todos los fieles esparcidos por
el haz de la tierra comunican en el EspIritu Santo con los demas y
aSI 'eI que habita en Roma sabe que los indios son tambien sus miem
bros'. Pero como el reino de Cristo no es de este mundo, la Iglesia,
o Pueblo de Oios, introduciendo este Reino, no arrebata a ningun pue
blo ningun bien temporal, sino al contrario, todas las facultades, ri
quezas y costumbres que revelan la idiosincrasia de cada pueblo, en
10 que tienen de bueno, las favorece y asumej pero al recibirlas las
purifica, las fortalece y las eleva ... Este caracter de universalidad,
que distingue al Pueblo de Oios, es un don del mismo Senor por el que
la Iglesia catolica tiende eficaz y constantemente a recapitular la
humanidad entera con todos sus bienes, bajo Cristo como Cabeza, en la
unidad de su EspIritu. En virtud de esta catolicidad, cada una de las
partes presenta sus dones a las otras partes y a toda la Iglesia, de
suerte que el todo y cada uno de sus elementos se comunican y tienden
a la plenitud en la unidad" (LG, 13). Esta es garantizada por la pre
sencia de Cristo muerto y resucitado que vino a recoger por medio del
sacrificio redentor, en la unidad, a los hijos de Oios dispersos (In 11,
51-52) ; unidad que es construida continuamente por la Eucaristfa y
en la Eucaristla, donde "se contiene todo el bien espiritual de la
Iglesia, es decir, Cristo en persona, nuestra Pascua y pan vivo, que,
por su carne vivificada y que vivifica por el EspIritu Santo, da vida
a los hombres, que de esta forma son invitados y estimulados a ofre
cerse a sf mismos, sus trabajos y todas las cosas creadas juntamente
con El. Por 10 cual la Eucarist!a aparece como fuente y cima de toda
evangelizacion" y de todo apostolado (PO, 5).
Consciente de la universalidad innata de su naturaleza y de su
funcion, la Iglesia sabe muy bien que en su organismo "nadie puede
considerarse como extranjero, 0 simplemente huesped; ni - de ninguna
manera - marginal" (OSS, 2452). "La Iglesia catollca, cuyo centro es
la Urbe, es sobrenatural por su misma esencia" (DSS, 946; cf. tambien
DSS, 851). "A ningun miembro del Cuerpo MIstico de Cristo ella pide
I
18
I
I meaning of the pastoral care of migrants, as of any other pastoral ministry. I
III I The pastoral care of migrants, a mission of the Church I
The letter "Church and People on the Move", 29, on the basis of the I fundamental common dignity, the variety of ministries, functions and
responsibilities (DSS 2451), draws some determinations of fundamental importance
for the pastoral care of people on the move (DSS 243). Among others: I "a) first of all, the need for the whole people of God to be aware of this
phenomenon and its religious, pastoral, apostolic, missionary and social I implications ... " (DSS 2453);
"b) mobility, in the form it takes at the present time, often creates in society I areas of discrimination and of relegating to the fringe ... Where mobility is
particularly intense, it sometimes happens that sections of the Church are I not immune to insidious influences of a nationalistic kind" (DSS 2456).
The documents of the Church emphasize the importance of the role of the
people of God. By baptism, every faithful is called to carry on the mission of the
Church: the Council reminded us of this (Lumen Gentium 31; AA), and it is
codified in the new Code of Canon Law (Can. 204 #1; Can. 208). Regarding the
sector of people on the move, the letter "Church and People on the Move", 29,
recalls: "It can never be overstressed that the modern phenomena of travel offer
opportunities to exercise to the full the privileges, even before the duties,
connected with the Christian vocation. They constitute in other words, a push in
the direction of generosity, altruism, and creativity, all of whose possibilities for
expansion it would be difficult to reduce to a formula" (DSS 2454). It would take
us too far to go into the documents for further description of the tasks incumbent
on the various categories of faithful in the apostolic effort for people on the move.
The Letter specifies especially the tasks of the laity at No. 30 (DSS 2457-2460),
of the clergy at Nos. 31-35 (DSS 2461-2470), of the deacon at No. 36 (DSS 2471),
and of women religious at No. 37 (DSS 2472, 2474). But we should at least
19
I
I mention the priests, both diocesan and religious, and the women religious.
I 1. Diocesan priests
The pivot of the specific pastoral care of migrants, as of any pastoral work, I is without any doubt the priest (20). It is through the priestly ministry that
Christ continues to give men the gift of His redemption, through His Word and the I Sacraments. The pastoral care of migrants, even if directed to the whole man, has
its full meaning in relation to his sanctification: the Eucharist is the summit of the Iwhole life of a Christian and of any apostolate. The priest who carries on his
ministry among migrants must know their language. Still better if he belongs to
the same ethnic group: he then knows the language in its full sense. I The easiest way to find such priests is to have them come from the same I
Church of origin: from the country of origin of the migrants. Especially at the
early stage of the migratory phenomenon, it would not be easy to find other I solutions. So, the Church recommends to the churches where migrants come from,
to make priests available who speak the migrants' language to stay with them Iespecially in the critical time of their first contact with the new culture and society
(DSS 2053).
I The history of the pastoral care of migrants will never be grateful enough
to these priests: migrants kept their faith and established flourishing Catholic I communities thanks to their work, although there have been difficulties and abuses
which the Church authorities tried to remedy through special norms concerning the I trips of missionaries to foreign lands (DSS 332, 339, 680-682).
IThe presence of these missionaries is still needed and remains irreplaceable.
It should be easier to provide for it with the new canonical legislation. The
Council has told us that priests are collaborators of the episcopal order rather I than the bishop, and therefore they are at the service of the whole Church (PO
7), even if they were ordained to serve in the diocese to which they are I incardinated. The new Code, while retaining the institution of incardination, has
regulated it according to the new Concilar perspective. Therefore, ex-cardination J can be granted for a just reason (Can. 270) and also incardination in another
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confia a un obispo para que la apaciente con la cooperacicin del pres
biterio de forma que, unida a su pastor y reunida por ~l en el Espi
ritu Santo por el Evangelio y la Eucaristia, constituye una Iglesia
particular en que verdaderamente esta y obra la Iglesia de Cristo,
que es una, santa, catolica y apostcilica" (DSS, 1603). Esta definicicin
ha side tomada literalmente por el nuevo Ccidigo y constituye el can.
369. En la Iglesia particular diocesana se ubica, pues, y se concreta,
simplemente, la unica Iglesia de Cristo, la Iglesia universal. Nueva
mente Pablo VI, en la misma Exhortacicin Apostcilica "Evangelii nuntiandi"
comenta (n Q 62): "La Iglesia, difundida en todo el orbe, se converti
ria en una abstraccion si no tomase cuerpo y vida precisamente a tra
ves de las Iglesias particulares" (DSS, 2267). Por medio de elIas esta
presente y actua la unica Iglesia de Cristo, santa, catcilica y apostci
lica. No existen, pues, propiamente, muchas Iglesias, sino una sola,
la unica Iglesia de Cristo que se actualiza, se manifiesta y se reali
za a traves de cada Iglesia particular. El caracter particular de es
tas Iglesias, por consiguiente, no reside en el hecho de que una parte
se contrapone al todo, 0 constituye un todo con las demas partes, sino
en que el todo, la Iglesia de Cristo, se realiza en la parte, porcicin
del Pueblo de Oios, cuando esta porcicin - en la celebracicin de la Eu
caristia y en el anuncio de la Palabra, bajo la presidencia del Obispo
en comunion con el Papa, garantia de la sucesicin apostcilica, y con su
presbiterio, mediante la accicin poderosa del Espiritu Santo - hace ver
daderamente presente a Cristo en su Iglesia. Por tanto, la caracter!s
tica de universalidad y catolicidad es parte esencial de toda Iglesia
particular, en comunicin con la Iglesia difundida en todo el mundo.
La Iglesia particular, por consiguiente, debera quedar abierta a todos
y revivir en si el misterio de la Iglesia y de su Fundador: "De este
modo ella revive una vez mas el misterio de su Divino Fundador, miste
rio de vida y de muerte. Ayer, para alcanzar al mundo pagano, busco
desnudarse de su aspecto judaico; para ir al alcance de los barbaros,
abandono la huella marcada por la mentalidad romana; para quedar dis
ponible a la humanidad entera se ha esforzado en abrirse a todas las
culturas" ("Iglesia y movilidad humana", 8; DSS, 2395). Es esta la
perspectiva en que debemos colocarnos para captar el sentido profundo
de la pastoral de los emigrantes y, desde luego, de cualquier otra
pastoral.
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individual Church; moreover, Can. 271, #1 recommends that a bishop is not to
refuse, except for a grave need of his own Church, permission to clerics to move
to another diocese upon special agreement.
We think, however, that diocesan priests are the most suitable persons for
a specific pastoral care especially at the early stage, namely for first generation
migrants who are still almost completely shut out from the new world and unable
to introduce themselves into it. At that stage, the diocesan priest of the country
of origin can give help in their own language. This specific pastoral care of
migrants requires continuity and at the same time an always broader openness to
the new world, with an effort to insert oneself into it until migrants can fully
participate in the life of the diocese. During this process, the missionary has to
be the bridge that links the migrant community with the receiving community. But
this task cannot always be adequately carried out by the diocesan missionary: in
fact he is usually alone with his goodwill and his own capacities; in addition, he
is attached to a diocese to which he may want to return sooner or later, and which
is not in a position, generally speaking, to ensure the continuity by pro\-iding new
forces and energies.
While giving preference to priests of the same language as the migrants, the
Instruction "De Pastorali Migratorum cura" considers also the possibility, if
needed, that priests from the receiving country who are familiar with the language
and the culture of the migrants, be trained to offer them pastoral assistance in
their own language (DSS 2060). There is no question about the validity of this
directive. A diocese that prepares its own priests for the work with migrants
shows its catholicity and its missionary awareness: this can only positively impress
the migrants and assure them of the Church's maternal welcome. Furthermore,
these priests can probably more easily count on the solidarity and help of their
diocesan fellow priests and of the whole Christian community sensitized by them
and encouraged to get involved in the work. All this can better help to avoid the
risk hidden sometimes in the pastoral care of migrants entrusted to a missionary
from the migrants' country or nation of origin: a certain kind of nationalism that
may lead to isolation up to the ghettoization, and as a consequence to delay the
process of full integration, freely accepted, into the local Church.
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III. La pastoral de los emigrantes, mision de la Iglesia.
La Carta "Iglesia y Movilidad Humana", nQ 29, partiendo de la
comun dignidad fundamental, de la variedad de los ministerios, de las
funciones y de las responsabilidades (DSS, 2451), proporciona determinacio
nes"de importancia basica para la pastoral de la movilidad" (DSS, 243).
En especial:
"a) ante todo, la necesidad de una sensibilidad de todo el Pueblo de
Dios ante estos fenomenos y sus implicaciones religiosas, pastora
les, apostolicas, misioneras, sociales, etc .•• " (DSS, 2453);
b) la movilidad, tal como se desarrolla en la hora presente, crea a
menudo en la sociedad zonas de discriminacion, de marginacion hu
mana ... AlII don de se ve particularmente acentuada la movilidad
y crea problemas, ocurre a veces que algunas fracciones de la Igle
sia no quedan inmunes a infiltraciones de tipo nacionalista" (DSS,
2456) .
Los documentos de la Iglesia senalan la importancia del papel
que desempena el Pueblo de Dios. En virtud del bautismo, todo bauti
zado esta llamado a realizar la mision de la Iglesia: nos 10 ha re
cordado el Concilio (LG, 31; AA); y 10 encontramos codificado en el
nuevo Codigo de Derecho Canonico (can. 204, §1; can. 208). En 10 que
se refiere al sector de la movilidad humana, la Carta "Iglesia y Movi
lidad Humana", nQ 29, nos recuerda: "Nunca quedara suficientemente
subrayado que los modernos fenomenos de la movilidad presentan ocasio
nes de ejercitar plenamente, antes que los deberes, los privilegios
conexos con la vocacion cristiana. Son, en otras palabras, un impulso
a la generosidad, al altrv£smo, a la creatividad de la que ser£a arduo
encerrrar en una sola formula todas las posibilidades de expansion"
(DSS, 2454). Ir£amos demasiado lejos si quisieramos seguir los docu
mentos en la ulterior descripcion de los deberes que incumben a las
distintas categor£as de fieles en el compromiso apostolico de la movi
lidad humana. En especial, la carta se detiene en las tareas de los
laicos, en el nQ 30 (DSS, 2457-2460); de los presb£teros, en los numeros
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However, this ideal is hard to attain. There is above all the fact of a
shortage of priests: in this situation, it is rather problematic to find enough
priests ready and qualified to take up a specific pastoral ministry. In any case, I at least during the first years, it does not seem that a language and a culture
learned and studied in books are sufficient to really get to the souls of the I migrants and to open their hearts to confidence and communication so that the
message of the faith can be brought to them in appropriate form, and make them
feel the Church's maternal welcome. Any contrast between priests of the two -communities must be avoided. The initiatives on both sides should rather be
integrated: on the one hand because the field of activity is so vast that there is
space for all, and on the other hand because the simultaneous presence of the two
sides may be mutually beneficial.
2. The religious
But the history of the pastoral care of migrants has seen and still sees, an
important presence of religious. It has been observed that there is no religious
institute which, in addition to its specific activities, had not given its contribution
to the pastoral care of migrants, side by side with many lay organizations that
came into being almost everywhere at the turn of the century (21). Much more,
the phenomenon of migratory mobility itself has given birth to new religious
institutes that have especially taken at heart, as their specific purpose, the
pastoral care of migrants (22). Throughout the events of people on the move, we
have seen once again how the Holy Spirit accompanies his Church on her way, and
provides her incessantly with adequate instruments to carry out her mission. For
the specific religious care, the Spirit has inspired men and women who have given
their life to God for the good of the migrants. We remember especially St. Frances
Xavier Cabrini and the Servant of God Msgr. John Baptist Scalabrini (DSS 1051
1055) .
The importance of the presence of religious in the pastoral care of migrants
is especially emphasized in the documents of the Church today also, precisely on
account of their very nature. In fact, the field of pastoral care of people on the
move is as vast and diversified as that of the Church itself: it is nothing but the
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31 y 35 (DSS, 2461-2470); del diacono, en el nQ 36 (DSS, 2471) y de
las religiosas en el nQ 37 (DSS, 2472. 2474). No podemos aquI, desde
luego, dejar de mencionar a los sacerdotes, tanto diocesanos como re
ligiosos, y a las religiosas.
1. Los sacerdotes diocesanos.
El eje de la pastoral especlfica para los migrantes es, sin lu
gar a dudas, el sacerdote - como, por 10 demas, de toda pastoral (20).
A traves del ministerio sacerdotal, Cristo sigue donando a los hombres
su Redencion a traves de su Palabra y de los Sacramentos. La pastoral
de los emigrantes, si bien debe llegar a todo el hombre, adquiere todo
su significado cuando se trata de su santificacion: la Eucaristla es
la cumbre y la fuente de toda la vida del cristiano y de todo aposto
lado. El sacerdote que ejerce su ministerio entre los emigrantes debe
conocer su lengua. Mejor aun, deberla ser del mismo grupo etnico para
que conOlca el idioma en todos sus matices. , Para hallar sacerdotes con todos esos requisitos, es mas facil
hacerles llegar de la misma Iglesia de origen, del pals de provenien, cia de los emigrantes. Sobre todo, al principio del fenomeno migrato
rio no serla factible encontrar otra solucion. La Iglesia, por tanto,
recomienda a las Iglesias de origen de los emigrantes, que pongan a
II , I , I
disposicion sacerdotes que hablen el mismo idioma de los emigrantes
para que permanelcan junto a ellos, en especial en el momenta mas di
ftcil del primer impacto con la nueva cultura y la nueva sociedad (DSS,
2053).
La historia de la pastoral de los emigrantes nunca agradecera
10 suficiente a esos sacerdotes su obra, por medio de la cual los emi
grantes han conservado su fe y han creado comunidades catolicas flore
cientes, pese a las dificultades y abusos que no han faltado, para los
cuales las autoridades eclesiasticas han procurado buscar remedio me
diante normas especiales sobre los viajes de los misioneros al extran
jero (DSS, 332. 339. 680-682).
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pastoral work of the Church carried out in a special manner, through the medium Iof the migrants I own language. Therefore, the institutes of religious life, while
respecting their own charism, can easily find the way to get involved in one or the
other of the many branches of activity of the pastoral care of migrants, to which I they bring, in addition, the riches, variety and peculiarity of their own charism
and of their institutes. The Instruction "De Pastorali Migratorum Cura" 52, I reminds of the advantages that the pastoral ministry of migrants may receive from
institutes of common life whose members are from different nationalities, and have I a diversity of apostolic experiences in their communities, with a variety of
backgrounds and specializations, and who can more easily be made available and Itransferred here and there (DSS 2111). And in that same Instruction, No. 53, #2,
we read that other religious institutes "even if an apostolate among emigrants is
not their proper purpose, will nevertheless be doing a valuable and praiseworthy I work in caring spiritually for this class of faithful, with particular concentration
on those works which are close to each institute's nature and aim (DSS 2113). I In his addresses to European men and women Superiors on November 17, I
1983, Pope John Paul II observed that the authentic evangelical testimony of
religious includes also an ever increasing number of non-Christian migrant workers Icoming from other continents in search of better living conditions in Europe, and
he warned that it was important that these poor people could find in the religious
a reflection of Christ's love. It is a new way to prolong what has been achieved I by the missionaries of previous generations (DSS 2832). He added that actually
the educational and social action of the institutes, according to their own charism I recognized by the Church and in organic cooperation with the laity, still remains
actual, above all if the religious maintain their concern for the poor, the I emarginated, the immigrants, the refugees, etc. Their action, in that sense, is
more than ever necessary for the evangelization, as it is a visible manifestation of
God's love for man (DSS 2836). In the Letter "Church and People on the Move",
37, a special role is assigned to women religious: "The contribution of women
religious to the world on the move, which presupposes a specific vocation and
competence, finds its real meaning in a total consecration to God, and is
demonstrated in the exercise of those gifts which are characteristically feminine"
(DSS 2473). It is sufficient to recall the shining figure of the already remembered
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La urgencia de esos misioneros sigue siendo, hoy, unica. Ademas,
deberla poder realizarse mas facilmente gracias a la nueva legislacion
canonica. El Concilio nos dijo que los sacerdotes, mas que cooperado
res del Obispo, 10 son tambien del orden episcopal y, por consiguiente,
estan al servicio de toda la Iglesia (PO, 7), si bien hayan side orde
nados para el servicio de la diocesis a la que estan incardinados. El
nuevo Codigo, aunque haya conservado la institucion de la incardina
cion, la ha organizado segun la nueva perspectiva conciliar. Por tan
to, se puede conceder la excardinacion por causa justa (can. 270),
incardinando al sacerdote en otra Iglesia particular. Aun mas, el
can. 271, §1 recomienda al Obispo que no niegue a los sacerdotes que
10 solicitan - sino en caso de verdadera necesidad - el permiso de
prestar su servicio ministerial en otra diocesis, mediante acuerdos
especiales.
Nos parece, sin embargo, que los sacerdotes diocesanos son las
personas mas indicadas para desarrollar una pastoral especlfica, sobre
todo al principio; a saber: para los emigrantes de la primera genera
cion que todavla se encuentran casi aislados del nuevo mundo y son in
capaces de entrar en el. El sacerdote diocesano de su pals de origen es
quien les puede asistir en ese momento, en su propio lenguaje. Esta
pastoral especlfica para los emigrantes exige una continuidad y, al
mismo tiempo, una apertura cada vez mayor hacia el mundo nuevo, y un
esfuerzo de integracion hasta que los emigrantes participen plenamente
en la vida diocesana. El misionero para los migrantes debe ser - en
este camino - el "hombre-puente" que pone en contacto a la comunidad
de migrantes con aquella que les recibe. No obstante, el misionero
diocesano no siempre puede proporcionar una respuesta adecuada a esta
tarea; en efecto, por 10 general, solo dispone de s! mismo, de su bue
na voluntad y de sus propias cualidades, y ademas se halla vinculado
a una diocesis a la que - tarde 0 temprano - quiere regresar y que por
10 general no Ie puede asegurar la continuidad con nuevas fuerzas y
energ!as.
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I St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, whom the decree authorizing her beatification Idescribes as a woman who was a true Christ-bearer (DSS 821) (23).
But the religious whose own charism is to cater for the migrants have a I special place. No. 53, #1, of the Instruction on the pastoral care of migrants
points it out in the following affirmation: "Of special importance is the work I carried on by those institutes, bound to the evangelical counsels, who have the
apostolate for emigrant people as their proper and peculiar purpose" (DSS 2112). I The relevance of these institutes become exceptionally important when it comes to
clerical institutes. Institutes officially known as such are all clerical. This I observation calls for reflection. The Church approaches migrants first of all for
a pastoral religious reason. The point of reference of pastoral care is the Isacerdotal activity. The Church has seen how migrants risk to lose their faith
when not given pastoral assistance. Such assistance has been provided through
all the Church's lay, religious, and sacerdotal energies. But the pastoral care of I migrants is a long-term action requiring continuity; it should lead to the insertion
into the diocesan community, but at the same time it must respect the ways and the I culture of every people and of every community. It requires a pastoral work
which, even if it starts from the culture, tends to overcome it in order to attain I unity and communion beyond the ethnic and cultural aspects. This is the sense
of a clerical religious institute whose specific purpose is the pastoral care of
migrants: the Church demands from it a deep and effective missionary attitude so
as to achieve, in the fullest form, the aim of the pastoral care of migrants.
The missionary activity of the Church has as its aim the building of the
Body of Christ. A missionary is sent to approach every man, embodying himself
into his life and culture, to announce to him the message of the Good News, of the
presence of the love of God who calls him to conversion. Thus, if on the one hand
the Church, in God's name, asks the missionary to respect the culture of the
people to whom he is sent, on the other hand she asks that he personally abandons
all his own things, also those of his culture, and even of himself to affirm the
supreme, absolute and unique value, our reality as God's children in which we are
all brothers in the one community of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit: the
Church. The clerical religious institute whose own and specific purpose is to
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La Instruccion tiDe pastorali migratorum cura tl , si bien da la
preferencia a los sacerdotes que hablan el mismo idioma del migrante,
contempla la posibilidad - en caso de necesidad - de que se ensene a
los sacerdotes del lugar de acogida la lengua y la cultura de los mi
grantes que llegan, para aSl poderles proporcionar una cura espiritual
en su propio idioma (DSS, 2060). Nadie puede poner en discusion la va
lidez de esa norma. Una diocesis que prepara a sus sacerdotes a reci
bir a los emigrantes demuestra su sentido catolico y misionero; pro
duce un impacto positivo en los mismos emigrantes y les da la seguri
dad de que la Iglesia les recibe como una madre. Ademas, estos sacer
dotes pueden con tar mas facilmente con la solidaridad y la ayuda de
sus colegas diocesanos, como tambien de toda la comunidad cristiana
que se ve sensibilizada e implicada en la cuestion. Todo esto puede
evitar un peligro, que a veces puede surgir, cuando se confla la pas
toral a un misionero del mismo pals 0 nacion del emigrante, es decir,
un cierto nacionalismo que puede terminar en aislamiento llevado has
ta el extremo, con el consiguiente retraso para un proceso de plena
integracion - aunque libre - en la Iglesia local.
Pero este ideal no se realiza facilmente. Ante todo, esta la es
casez del clero: es diflcil encontrar suficientes sacerdotes, adecua
dos, y dispuestos a asumir ese ministerio pastoral especlfico. De to
dos modos, para los primeros anos, no parece que el hecho de haber
aprendido un idioma, ni tampoco el haber estudiado una cultura en los
libros, sean suficientes para penetrar verdaderamente en los corazones
de los emigrantes y abrirlos a la confianza y a la comunicacion, y
asI poder transmitirles, de manera apropiada, el mensaje de la fe,
haciendoles sentir la acogida materna de la Iglesia. Habra que evitar
la contraposicion entre sacerdotes del paIs de origen y sacerdotes del
paIs de llegada. Las dos iniciativas deberan mas bien integrarse, ya
sea porque el campo de trabajo es tan amplio que hay lugar para todos,
como tambien porque la presencia contemporanea de unos y otros puede
dar como resultado una valida ayuda mutua.
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of these people. It is its proper charism to carryon the pastoral care of I migrants, by mandate and on behalf of the Church. In this way, all
misunderstandings, too often arising in the concrete situation of the pastoral work I with migrants, are dispelled.
I IV I
The structure of the pastoral care of migrants I What we have said shows that the pastoral care of migrants, like the
ordinary pastor'ell ministry, has its own institutions and structures. In a very I general sense, this can be deduced from the statement of principle itself that
guides this work: migrants should have serious spiritual assistance, at least equal I to that which the faithful receive in the life of the Church (DSS 2435-2436). But
statements of principle have to be confronted with the reality and verified by the Ipractice. We can distinguish three levels of structures in the pastoral care of
migrants: 1) the universal Church; 2) the part.icular Church; 3) the parish
community. I 1. The universal Church I
The Apostolic Constitution "Exsul Familia", reviewing the way followed by
the Church in accompanying the pastoral care of migrants, mentions the various I institutions and structures devised and set up throughout the centuries.
IWe shall recall the most important ones which represent as many stages in
the realization of an organic and comprehensive project. The first might be the Isetting up, by St. Pius X, of a special office in the Consistorial Congregation.
With the Constitution "Exsul Familia", Pius XII established the Supreme I Council on Migration (No.7, #1; DSS 1162), and the Office of Delegate for
Migration Affairs (No.9; DSS 1170) in the same Consistorial Congregation. This I was included in the reform of the Roman Curia by Paul VI's Constitution "Regimini
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2. Los religiosos.
La historia misma de la pastoral de los emigrantes ha visto siem
pre una importante presencia de los religiosos, y todavla cuenta con
ella. Se ha comprobado que no ha habido ningun instituto religioso que
no haya dado - fuera de sus objetivos especIficos - una aportacion a
la pastoral de los emigrantes, junto a numerosas instituciones laica
les que han surgido, en todas partes, en particular a fines del siglo
pasado y a principios del presente (21). E1 fenomeno de la movilidad
migratoria ha servido, incluso, para hacer surgir nuevos institutos
religiosos que han prestado una atencion muy especial a la cura pastoI ral de los emigrantes (22). En el campo de la movilidad humana, hemos
tenido la oportunidad de constatar una vez mas como el EspIritu Santo
I acompana el camino de la Iglesia y Ie proporciona los instrumentos
adecuados para que cumpla su mision. En cuanto a la asistencia reli
I giosa propiamente dicha, el EspIritu ha suscitado hombres y mujeres
I que han consagrado su vida a Dios para el bien de los emigrantes. Re
cordamos en especial a Santa Francisca J. Cabrini y al Siervo de Dios
Mons. Juan Bautista Scalabrini (DSS, 1051-1055).
I La importancia de la presencia de los religiosos en el campo de
la pastoral de los emigrantes se halla subrayada, en especial, tambien
I hoy, en los documentos de la Iglesia, precisamente en razon de su mis
ma naturaleza. De hecho, el ambito de la pastoral de la movilidad hu
I mana es tan amplio y diversificado como el de la Iglesia: no es mas
I que la pastoral de la Iglesia aplicada a campos espec£ficos, con la
ayuda de la lengua de los emigrantes. Por consiguiente, los institutos
I de vida consagrada - respetando su propio carisma - pueden facilmente
encontrar un terreno de apostolado en cualquiera de las muchas activi
dades en que se rami fica la pastoral de los emigrantes, aportandole
ademas, la riqueza, variedad y peculiaridad de sus carismas y de sus
I instituciones. La Instruccion 'IDe pastorali migratorum cura" recuerda
en el nQ 52 10 ventajosa que puede resultar, para la pastoral de los
I emigrantes, la presencia de los religiosos; estos, al tener una vida
I comunitaria, pueden disponer de miembros provenientes de distintas
naciones, con diversas experiencias apostolicas y gran variedad en la
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Ecclesiae Universae", and is also found in the Instruction "De Pastorali Migratorum
Cura" (Nos. 16-20; DSS 2006-2022) which, however, mentions also a special study
commission, still within the Consistorial Congregation (No. 21; DSS 2023-2025).
A decisive step was made with Paul VI's Motu Proprio "Apostolicae Caritatis" of
March 19, 1970, which sets up the Pontifical Commission for the Pastoral Care of
Emigration and Tourism (DSS 2137. 2148), under which were placed all activities
of the Church for people on the move, previously divided among several
dicasteries of the Roman Curia (DSS 2143). The Letter "Church and People on the I Move", 39, after defining the Commission as "fruit of the Second Vatican Council"
(DSS 2478), observes: "Gathering together the five institutions, each with its I own specific purpose and scope, and conferring on them a definite character in a
single organism of the Apostolic See, the Motu Proprio "Apostolicae Caritatis" gave
full weight to the common pastoral denominator linking the various kinds of travel, I as it strikes the Church in her concern to spread the gospel. It has also
guaranteed the existence of a qualified centralized service with the task of I encouraging, promoting and coordinating local energies within the overall vision
of that universal reality which is the Catholic Church. With particular I consideration for the effects of continual dialogue, the Pontifical Commission's
activity acquires a special added value for its promotion of meetings and Iconventions of an international character" (DSS 2478). The Commission depends
on the Congregation for the Bishops, but it enjoys "a certain autonomy" in
carrying out its functions (DSS 2146). Provision is made in the Motu Proprio for I special powers to be given to the Commission (DSS 2147). The reform announced
long before by the Roman Curia, and happily completed in these days with the I Constitution "Pastor Bonus", led the competent authorities to postpone any
decision until the publication of the said reform, in order to overcome a number I of difficulties that had arisen in the meantime: for example, the relation of
autonomy and dependence with the Congregation for the Bishops, and the area of Icompetence which, by putting together migrations and all other sectors of mobility,
so different on account of the pastoral problems raised by these phenomena, made
it extremely difficult to achieve the homogeneity in the activity of the Commission. I The new Constitution "Pastor Bonus" has transformed the Commission into I
the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrations and Tourism, whose aims
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formacion y en la especializacion; por consiguiente, con mayor dispo
nibilidad y movilidad (DSS, 2111). Y en el nQ 53, §2 de esa misma Ins
truccion se lee: "En cuanto a los otros institutos, aunque no se pro
pongan como fin especlfico el apostolado en favor de los emigrantes,
sera siempre oportuno y laudable que se dediquen a la cura espiritual
de esta categorla de fieles, atendiendo especialmente a las obras que
responden mejor a su particular Indole y finalidad" (DSS, 2113).
En sus alocuciones a los superiores y superioras de Europa, el
17 de noviembre de 1983, el Papa Juan Pablo II constataba como el au
t~ntico testimonio evang~lico de los religiosos debe tener en cuenta
un numero cada vez mayor de trabajadores emigrados no cristianos, pro
venientes de otros continentes, que han llegado a Europa a buscar me
jores condiciones de vida. Y los exhortaba: "Es importantisimo que
estos pobres encuentren en los religiosos un reflejo de la caridad de
Cristo. Es una nueva manera de prolongar 10 que han hecho los misione
ros de las generaciones anteriores" (DSS, 2832). Y continuaba: "En rea
lidad, el trabajo educativo y social de los institutos, de acuerdo
con el carisma que les es propio - reconocido por la Iglesia - y en
colaboracion organica con el laicado, sigue siendo siempre actual,
sobre todo si los religiosos continuan a preocuparse por los pobres,
marginados, inmigrados, refugiados, etc ••• Su accion, en este sentido,
es mas que nunca necesaria para la evangelizaclon, al ser una manifes
tacion visible del amor de Oios por el hombre" (OSS, 2836). En la Car
ta "Iglesia y Movilidad Humana", n2 37, se reconoce un papel especial
a las religiosas: "La contribucion de la religiosa en el mundo de la
movilidad, que supone una vocacion y competencia especlfica, encuentra
su verdadero sentido en la total consagracion aDios y queda tambien
puesto de manifiesto el ejercicio de las dotes caracterlsticas de la
feminidad" (OSS, 2473). Es suficiente recordar la figura luminosa de
la ya mencionada Santa Francisca J. Cabrini, de quien se dijo, en el
decreto que autorizaba su beatificacion, que llevaba a los demas hacia
Cristo (OSS, 821) (23).
I
I and structures are described in articles 149-151. While a nCommission" connotes
a service depending on a higher body, and whose task is one of study, a I "Council", instead, implies full autonomy as well as directive and governing
functions. These are the characteristics acquired by the Council as compared with I the Commission. As far as competence is concerned, an expected clarification has
been given: although the words "Pastoral Care of Migrations and Tourism" were I kept in the title, the text gives priority to the pastoral care of migrants. In fact,
the first article determines the area of competence by saying that the Council Idirects the pastoral solicitude of the Church to the special needs of those who
were compelled to abandon their homeland or are without a country; likewise, it
shall follow with due attention the questions relating to this matter. Those I compelled to abandon their homeland, or are without one, belong to various
categories as specified in #1, article 150; they are: refugees, exiles, migrants, I nomads, and travelling entertainers. Added to this list, in a special position, are
sailors and airmen. For the other phenomenons of people on the move, article 151 I says only that efforts will be made to ensure that journeys undertaken for pious
motives, or study, or leisure, may further the moral and religious formation of the I faithful; also, local Churches will be assisted to provide adequate pastoral care to
all those who are outside their place of residence. There is, then, a gradualness Iof needs among these people involved in mobility, which should be matched by a
priority of attention and commitment on the part of the Pontifical Council for the
Pastoral Care of Migrations and Tourism. Some of these needs are specific, others I are generic. To determine the discriminating point between them is not easy. It
is clear, anyhow, that the Pontifical Council will have to respond to the categories I listed in article 150 with specific actions as indicated in article 149.
I Whereas, for the groups mentioned in article 151, a generic effort will be
sufficient. The Pontifical Council continues to specify itself in its title through Ithe term "Migrations", for all norms and directives of the Church in the field of
mobility are oriented towards the pastoral care of "migrants", a term of which it
recognizes the polyvalence (Cf. Instruction "De Pastorali Migratorum Cura", 15). I 2. The particular Church I
I I
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....
Ocupan un lugar particular los religiosos cuyo carisma es, pre
cisamente, la cura pastoral de los emigrantes. En el nQ 53, §1 de la
Instruccion para la pastoral de los emigrantes, esto se pone de relie
ve con la siguiente afirmacion: " ... Es de gran importancia considerar
la obra desarrollada por los Institutos que, con el vInculo de sus
votos religiosos, tienen como fin propio y especifico el apostolado
con los emigrantes" (DSS, 2112). La significacion de estos institutos
adquiere un caracter excepcional cuando se trata de institutos cleri
cales. Los institutos conocidos oficialmente como tales son todos cle
ricales. Esta constatacion nos invita a la reflexion. La Iglesia se
acerca al emigrante, ante todo por un motivo religioso-pastoral. La
cura pastoral encuentra su punto de referencia en la actividad sacer
dotal. La Iglesia ha notado el peligro del naufragio de la fe en los
emigrantes que no han recibido asistencia pastoral, y ha proporcionado
tal asistencia mediante todas sus energfas laicales, religiosas y sa
cerdotales. Pero la pastoral de los emigrantes se hace a largo plazo
y requiere continuidad; debe conducir a una insercion en la comunidad
diocesana y, al mismo tiempo, ha de respetar el camino y la cultura
de todos los pueblos y comunidades. Ademas, si bien parta de la cul
tura, debera tender a superarla para hallar la unidad y la comunion,
mas alIa de los elementos etnicos y culturales. Este es el significado
de todo instituto religioso clerical cuya finalidad propia y peculiar
es el cuidado pastoral de los emigrantes; la Iglesia pide a esos ins
titutos una actitud efectiva y profundamente misionera para poder rea
lizar, de la manera mas completa posible, la pastoral de los emigran
tes en todo sentido.
La actividad misionera de la Iglesia tiene como objetivo la edi
ficacion del Cuerpo de Cristo. El misionero es enviado para que se
acerque a todo hombre, encarnandose en su vida y en su cultura para
anunciarle el mensaje de la buena nueva y de la presencia del amor de
Oios que 10 llama a la conversion. As! pues, por una parte, la Iglesia
pide, en nombre de Oios, al misionero, que respete la cultura del pue
blo al que ha sido enviado; y, por otra, Ie solicita - precisamente
I
I27
The pastoral care of migrants involves the ordinaries of both the Church of Iorigin and the Church of arrival, although in different ways.
The Church of origin has the task to give adequate formation to those who I leave their country in order to make them aware of the difficulties and prepare
themselves to face them without danger for their faith (DSS 2052). Moreover, I ordinaries of the place of departure should make priests available to go with the
migrants to the new countries and serve them in their own language (DSS 2053). I But the major responsibility rests with the Church of the place to which I
immigrants come, for it is called to welcome them in a spirit of Christian
hospitality, to show the maternal aspect of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic
Church, to provide priests of the same language as the migrants by inviting them I from their country of origin, or by preparing its own priests for the task (DSS
2059-2060), and setting up adequate structures for the pastoral care of migrants I (DSS 2064-2072). The bishops are the true and only persons responsible for the
pastoral care of migrants in their dioceses. I To that effect, diocesan ordinaries may set up diocesan offices for the I
pastoral work of migrants in their dioceses (DSS 2051, 2055). An episcopal vicar
could be appointed at the head of such office to take care of this particular sector
of the diocesan pastoral life, on behalf and in communion with the bishop (Cf. I Can. 476).
I But since the pastoral care of people on the move has necessarily an
ultradiocesan dimension and is connected with other dioceses, it requires an I organization at ultradiocesan level (DS 2426-2428), which should not, however,
encroach upon or interfere with the one pastoral responsibility of the bishop in his Idiocese. It is a question of instruments of study, concentration and consultation
at the service of the individual bishops. Therefore, in both the nations of Ideparture and of arrival with a sizeable migratory movement, a special commission
should be appointed at the level of episcopal competence, whose area of concern
and study will be precisely the pastoral care of migrants at national level. The I Commission's office will have a director or a permanent secretary with the task of
I
I
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a el - que abandone todo, incluso su propia cultura y su misma persona
para afirmar el valor supremo, absoluto y unico: nuestra realidad de
hijos de Dios, por 10 que nos hallamos todos como hermanos en la uni
ca comunidad del Padre, el Hijo y el EspIritu Santo: la Iglesia. La
institucion religiosa clerical cuyo objetivo propio y especIfico es
la asistencia a los emigrantes, tiene este significado emblematico en
la cura pastoral especffica de estos ultimos. Es el carisma con el
cual se realiza la pastoral de los emigrantes, segun el mandato de la
Iglesia y en nombre de ella. ASI se pueden aclarar los equIvocos que
se encuentran, muchas veces, en situaciones concretas de la pastoral
de los emigrantes.
IV. Estructura de la pastoral de los emigrantes
Segun 10 que hemos venido diciendo, la pastoral de los emigran
tes, 10 mismo que la pastoral ordinaria, tiene sus instituciones y es
tructuras propias. En un sentido muy general, esto se puede deducir
de la misma afirmacion de principio que ordena la pastoral de 105 emi
grantes: ellos deberan recibir un cuidado pastoral suficiente y, de
todos modos, no inferior al que se da a los demas fieles en la Iglesia
(DSS, 2435-2436). Pero las afirmaciones de principio deben compararse
con la realidad y verificarse en la practica. Podemos distinguir tres
niveles de estructuras en la pastoral de los emigrantes: 1. la Iglesia
universal; 2. la Iglesia particular; 3. la comunidad parroquial.
1. La Iglesia universal
La Constitucion Apostolica "Exsul familia", recorriendo el ca
mino por el cual la Iglesia ha acompanado la pastoral de los emigran
tes, se refiere a las distintas instituciones y estructuras que Ella
ha inventado y creado a 10 largo de los siglos.
28
following the phenomenon and the problems of people on the move at national level
(DSS 2031 ff).
A particularly serious and important problem will be that of the pastoral and
spiritual assistance of the priests themselves who accompany the migrants. Their
situation is very delicate as they are working in a diocese foreign to them under
many aspects, and they do not have a presbytery and a community where they
could lead a normal life. According to the Church's legislation these priests,
while remaining incardinated in their diocese of origin, are subject to the
jurisdiction of the bishop under whom they carryon their pastoral ministry, both
for their activity and for their personal life (DSS 2075-2078). Actually, they run
the risk of remaining alone and without any help. To meet their needs, the
Constitution "Exsul Familian provides for the appointment, directly by the Holy
See, of a Director of Missionaries of the same ethnic group. His functions
excluded any governing or pastoral authority and concerned the life of the
missionary priests (DSS 1138 ff).
The figure has remained, although under another name, in the Instruction
"De Pastorali Migratorum Curan : he is called Delegate for Missionaries in charge
of the pastoral care of a given ethnic group. He is the delegate of the bishops in
whose dioceses the missionaries operate. He is delegate for the missionaries, and
not for the migrants: his functions do not include any pastoral responsibility
towards the migrants, but is one of direction of the missionaries. "The delegate
for missionaries receives no power of jurisdiction, either territorial or personal,
by virtue of his function ll (DSS 2100). The task of the Delegate is one of spiritual
guidance and moral support of missionaries, and of vigilance that they live a life
according to the sacred canons. But since these priests come from the churches
of origin of the migrants, these churches are somewhat concerned with the
Delegate's function and responsibilities, and therefore also with his appointment
(DSS 2089-2109). In fact, lIhe is chosen - in consultation with the episcopal
conference who are concerned - by the national conference of bishops of the nation
in which the delegate is to perform his ministry" (DSS 2029).
•••••••••••••••••• I
- 28 -
Recordamos las principales, que constituyen otras tantas etapas
en la realizacion del proyecto organico y general. La primera puede
ser la creacion de una oficina especial con sede en la Congregacion
Concistorial, por obra de S. Pio X.
Luego PIa XII, con la Constitucion "Exsul familia", establecio
en la Congregacion Concistorial el Supremo Consejo para la Emigracion
(n Q 7, §1; DSS, 1162) Y la Oficina del Delegado para las obras de la
emigracion (n Q 9; DSS, 1170). Esa estructura queda incluida en la re
forma de la Curia Romana mediante la Constitucion "Regimini Ecclesiae
Universae" de Pablo \1, y se encuentra en la Instruccion "De pastorali
migratorum cura" (nn. 16-20; DSS, 2006-2022) que menciona, sin embargo,
tambien una comision especial de estudio, siempre con sede en la Con
gregacion Concistorial (n Q 21; DSS, 2023-2025). El Motu Proprio de
Pablo \I ">\postolicae Caritatis" del 19 de marzo de 1970 marca una
etapa decisi\a: se establece la Pontificia Comision para la pastoral
de los migrantes y los itinerantes (DSS, 2137. 2148), donde confluyen
todas las acti\idades de la Iglesia relacionadas con la movilidad hu
mana que, hasta entonces, se hallaban repartidas en distintos dicaste
rios de la Curia Romana (DSS, 2143). La Carta "Iglesia y Movilidad Hu
mana", en el nQ 39, despues de haber definido la Comision como "fruto
del Concilio \aticano II" (DSS, 2478), subraya: "Haciendo confluir
las cinco instituciones, cada una con sus finalidades y dimensiones
especlficas y confiriendole aspecto definido en un organismo unico de
la Sede Apostolica, el Motu Proprio 'Apostolicae Caritatis' vino a
valorizar el comun denominador pastoral de varias formas de movilidad,
como muestra del ansia evangelizadora de la Iglesia; y ha garantizado
un servicio central calificado que tiene por tarea estimular, promover
y coordinar las energ[as 'locales, en la vision t[pica de una realidad
universal cual es la Iglesia catolica. De notable incidencia en el
constante dialogo, la accion de la Comision Pontificia adquiere ademas
un valor particular en la promocion de encuentros y asambleas de ca
racter internacional" (DSS, 2478). Ella se halla bajo la jurisdiccion
de la Congregacion para los Obispos, perc goza "de una cierta autono
mIa" en el desarrollo de sus tareas (DSS, 2146). En el Motu Proprio
I
I 29
Another sector that deserves special attention on the part of the Ordinary I is that of the pastoral structures for the migrants themselves. In particular, the
Code of Canon Law, after recommending to the pastors, as we have seen, to give I attention to those faithful who need a special and extraordinary pastoral care,
gives two rather clear indications: 1) the appointment of chaplains; 2) the Iestablishment of personal parishes. Let us examine briefly what the Code of Canon
Law means by personal parish and by chaplain, also in the light of the documents
and practice of the pastoral ministry. Thus, we come to the third level of I structure.
I 3. The personal parish or chaplaincy
The Code of 1917 provided for the establishment of personal parishes only I with the indult of the Apostolic See (Can. 216, #4). Territoriality was the guiding
principle for the organization of the Church. But in fact, the practice had Iintroduced and encouraged the establishment of personal or national parishes
according to the rite and the language of the various ethnic groups.
I In facing the new situation of the contemporary world, and especially the
spreading of the phenomenon of mass mobility, the legislator, in view of the new I reality, has mitigated the principle of territoriality with that, among others, of the
personality in the organization of the life of the Church. The directive principle I 8th of the revision of the Code says that the principle of territoriality, although
remaining valid, must be revised to answer the needs of modern apostolate until Ithe recognition of personal juridical units; thus the new Code considers the
possibility of establishing particular dioceses and parishes on the basis of the rite
or other similar reasons (Can. 372, #2), personal prelatures (Can. 295), and I parishes (Can. 518).
I With regard to parishes, Can. 518, after confirming the principle by which,
as a general rule, the parish should be "territorial", goes on saying: "Where it I is useful, however, personal parishes are to be established, determined by reason
of the rite, language or nationality of the faithful of a certain territory, or on Isome other basis" .
I I
-- 29
se preven facultades especiales que se daran a la Comision, 10 mismo
que un "ordo servandus" que establece las relaciones entre la Congre
gacion para los Obispos y la Comision (DSS, 2147). De hecho, no se han
recibido nunca facultades especiales, ni tampoco ha sido dado nunca
ese "ordo servandus" especial. La reforma de la Curia no;:-ana, tan
anunciada desde hacla tiempo, y que felizmente ha visto la luz en es
tos dlas con la publicacion de la Constitucion "Pastor Bonus", habla
determinado a las autoridades competentes a aplazar cualquier decision
con miras a solucionar algunas dificultades que se hablan presentado;
por ejemplo, la relacion de autonomla y dependencia con la Congrega
cion para los Obispos y el campo de las competencias que hacla muy
diflcil una actividad homogenea de la Comision, pues se consideraban,
junto a las migraciones, todos los demas sectores de la movilidad, tan
diversos en cuanto a los problemas pastorales que presentan los dis
tintos fenomenos.
La nueva Constitucion "Pastor Bonus" ha transformado la Comision
en Pontificio Consejo de la pastoral para los migrantes y los itine
rantes cuyas finalidades y estructuras se encuentran en los artlculos
149-151. Mientras la Comision supone un servicio realizado bajo la de
pendencia de otra entidad superior, y tiene tareas de estudio, el Con
sejo posee plena autonomla y funciones tambien de direccion y de go
bierno. Estas son las caracter!sticas del Consejo, con relacion a la
Comision. En 10 que se refiere a sus incumbencias, se establece una
aclaracion: aunque se denomine "pastoral para los migrantes y los iti
nerantes", en el texto se da prioridad a la pastoral de los emigrantes.
E! primer artIculo define as! el marco de las competencias: "E! Conse
jo muestra la solicitud especial de la Iglesia hacia las necesidades
particulares de aquellos que se han visto obligados a abandonar su
propia patria, 0 no la tienen; igualmente, procura seguir con la de
bida atencion las cuestiones referentes a esta materia". Aquellos que
"se han visto obllgados a abandonar su propia patria, 0 no la tlenen"
pertenecen a categor!as sociales distintas, especificadas en el §1
del art. 150, y son: los profugos, desterrados, emigrantes, nomadas
y la gente del circo. A esta lista se agregan, en una posicion parti
I
I 30
It should be noted that according to the present Code, a personal parish has I to be established where it simply appears to be convenient and useful. It is up
to the competent authority to judge about such usefulness, but once this has been I ascertained, the personal parish must be established. The name also is indicative
and clearer from a technical point of view. In fact, the term llpersonalll describes Ibetter than other adjectives, such as national, ethnic, ritual, etc., the juridical
reality in question, and it avoids any possible misunderstanding. The personal
aspect becomes the criterion or principle of belonging to a parish community, while I in general it is the domicile or quasi-domicile (Can. 102). However, the fact that
someone may belong to a personal parish does not, in general, - unless, that is, I a different situation resulting from other possible dispositions of the competent
authorities - invalidate the principle of territoriality; consequently, he who I belongs to a personal parish belong at the same time also to the territorial parish
in virtue of his domicile or quasi -domicile. Therefore, the territorial parish priest Ihas cumulative authority over the members of the personal parish with the priest
of that same parish. Whereas the npersonaln parish priest has authority only
over those member who, because they belong to it, are part of his community. If I an act is being performed with the participation of two persons, as in the case of
marriages, for example, it is necessary but sufficient that at least one party is a I member of his parish community (Cf. Can. 1110). Finally, it should be noted that
the personal parish has also a complementary territorial criterion, in so far that I while the belonging is of course based on personal considerations, it nevertheless
must always concern faithful who live within a given territory. I The following lines of reflection can be drawn from the Code legislation: the
personal parish should not be seen as a structure that disturbs the unity and I homogeneity of diocesan life. It is one of the pastoral instruments certainly
useful, if not indispensable, to welcome other ethnic, national or ritual groups into I the life of the Church. On the contrary, for these groups, the personal parish
should be seen as the normal instrument that answers at the same time several I needs of the pastoral care of migrants:
I1) provide migrants with the same pastoral assistance that is given to local
faithful; I J
- 30 .,
cular, los mari~os y los aeronavegantes. Mlentrds pdra los dem6s fen6
menos de la movihdali hum<'l/1d el art. 1:>1 dice sil1lplemente: "se compro
mete a que los vl~Jes pmprendidos par razones de piedad, de estudio
o de reereo favorelc~n la formaci6n moral y religiosa de los fleles
y asiste a las Iglesias locales para que todos aquellos que se encuen
tran par fuera dp<;u pr'op to Gomici 1io puedan gozar de una asistencia
pastoral adecuada'. Existe, pues, en media de estas personas involu
cradas en el fencimenn Je la movilidad humand, una serie de exigencias
de distintos qraJ05! a las que deber~ corresponder la prioridad en
la atenciOil y 1a solicitud par parte del Pontjficio Consejo para la
pastoral de L05 mlgrdntes y los itinerantes. Entre estas exigencias,
algunas sop especftica5 ~ otras gen~ricas. No es f~cil establecer un
punta de discrimlndcl6n entre unas y otras. De todas maneras, el Pon
tificio Consejo debera responder con un empe~o especial - al que se
refiere el art. 149 - a las categor1as mencionadas en el siguiente
art. 150, mientras es suficiente un com~ro~iso gen~rico para con los
grupos mencionddos en el art. 151.
En el tftulo del Pontificio Consejo se sigue empleando el t~r
mino "Migrante"! fJue5 todas las normas y directrices de la Iglesia en
el campo de la movilidad humana est~n orientadas hacia la pastoral de
los "Migrantes". termino del que, desde luego, ella reconoce la poli
valencia sociologica (cf. nQ 1S de la Instruccion "De pastorali migra
torum cura").
2. La 19le~ia particular
La pastoral de los emigrantes concierne a los Ordinarios, tanto
de la Iglesia de orlgen como de la Iglesia que recibe, aunque por dis
tintos conceptos.
La Iglesia de origen tiene la tarea de formar adecuadamente a
aquellos Que dejan su proplo pafs; de ensenarles las dificultades y
prepararles para afrontarlas sin que corra peligro la fe (055, 2052).
Ademas, los Ordinarias de la Iglesia de origen estan comprometldos a
proporcionar sdcerdotes que hablen el mismo idioma de los emigrantes
(DSS, 2053) y los acompa"en en los nuevos parses.
I I I
I
I I
I I
I I
31
2) assist them through a priest of the same language;
3) recognize their spiritual heritage, without forcing their integration into the
host society;
4) the specific pastoral assistance should be continued as long as there is a real
need for it.
However, the pastoral care set up on the basis of a personal parish is and
always remains as a temporary, transitory and supplementary structure: until and
as long as the migrants are not fully inserted into the ordinary territorial
community. In fact, we should make a distinction between the stability of a
juridical entity, like the parish, and a community of people who use it, the ones
followed by the others, for the period of time limited by the duration of their
needs. This is the meaning of their double belonging - to the territorial and to
the personal parishes - and of the cumulative authority of both parish priests.
It is a free choice that the Church leaves with the faithful, but she invites them,
discretely, to become part of the normal diocesan pastoral life as soon as they are
in a position to do so (23). The same objective, but with the discretion that is
proper of the Church's directives, should be kept in mind by those in charge of
both the territorial and the personal parishes.
In addition to the parish, the Code also provides for a chaplaincy for
migrants. Canon 568 prescribes the appointment "as far as possible (of)
chaplains ... for those who, because of their condition of life, are not able to avail
themselves of the ordinary care of parish priests, as for example, migrants,
exiles, fUgitives, nomads and seafarers".
The figure of the chaplain is described in a fairly clear way by the new
Code (Canons 564-571). He is given some of the faculties of the law itself (Canon
566, #1). By virtue of the universal and of the particular law, or by mandate, he
could even be given all faculties of a parish priest for the community to which he
has been assigned.
But the difference between a parish and a chaplaincy remains even there
where the chaplain is given all the faculties of a parish priest. The latter has his
- 31
!!!!!
Pero la mayor responsabilidad corresponde a la Iglesia que reci
be. Esta esta llamada a acoger a los emigrantes con hospitalidad cris
tiana; a mostrar el rostro materno de la Iglesia, una, santa, catolica
y apostolica; a proporcionar sacerdotes que hablen la misma lengua
del emigrante, haciendolos venir de sus palses de origen 0 formando
para esa tarea a los propios sacerdotes (DSS, 2059-2060), Y preparando
las estructuras adecuadas para la pastoral de los emigrantes (DSS,
2064-2072). Los Obispos son los verdaderos y unicos responsables, en
su diocesis, de la pastoral de los emigrantes.
Con este objeto, los Ordinarios diocesanos pod ran establecer en
su diocesis oficinas diocesanas para la pastoral de los emigrantes
(DSS, 2051. 2055) cuya direccion podrla estar a cargo de un vicario
episcopal que sigue este sector de la vida pastoral diocesana en nom
bre del obispo y en comunion con el (cf. can. 476).
Como la pastoral de la movilidad humana tiene necesariamente
una dimension ultraterritorial, y esta vinculada a otras diocesis,
necesita una organizacion a nivel ultradiocesano (DSS, 2426-2428) que
no usurpe la responsabilidad pastoral unica del obispo en su diocesis
ni interfiera en ella. Se trata de instrumentos de estudio, de concer
tacion y de consulta al servicio de los obispos. En cada pals que pre
sente un notable movimiento migratorio, por consiguiente - tanto en
el de origen como en el que recibe - se debera establecer,bajo la au
toridad del obispo, una comision especial para la pastoral de los emi
grantes a nivel nacional con un director 0 un secretario permanente
cuya tarea consistira en seguir el fenomeno y los problemas de la mo
vilidad a escala nacional (DSS, 2031 Y sigs.).
Un asunto de especial gravedad e importancia sera la asistencia
pastoral y espiritual a los sacerdotes que siguen a los emigrantes.
Su situacion es particularmente delicada, pues ellos trabajan en una
diocesis que, bajo muchos aspectos, les es extrana y no tienen una co
munidad 0 un presbiterio en que se puedan encontrar en condiciones de
normalidad. La legislacion de la Iglesia coloca a esos sacerdotes,que
I
I 32
authority by virtue of the law; it cannot be limited or taken away; whereas, the I faculties of the chaplain, since they are mostly given by mandate, are revocable
at any time. I Moreover, a chaplain always operates within a parish and in subordination Ito the parish priest: the range of autonomy of his pastoral activity is necessarily
limited.
I Finally - and this reflection seems to us to be the most important one - a
chaplain may personally have all the faculties of a parish priest, but his community I does not have all the structures provided by the law to permit the building of a
true Christian community: parish church, catechetical rooms, meeting and I gathering places, etc. It is within such a vast and complex reality that the
pastoral care of a community is being adequately organized. A chaplaincy, besides Iusually lacking these structures, has no guaranty of stability.
What is the best solution to the problem of the pastoral care of migrants: I the parish or the chaplaincy? The answer, in our view, should be found in the
practice and in the directives of the Church, which are the sources of the Code. I But it must immediately be said that the answer cannot be the same for all
situations. The Instruction De Pastorali Migratorum Cura, 12, says it clearly: I "The manner, juridical forms, and useful duration of the care of immigrant people
should be carefully considered in each and every case and adapted to the Icircumstances" (DSS 2000). Among the concrete circumstances to be taken into
consideration, the Instruction mentions the following: the duration of immigration,
the process of becoming integrated (first or following generations), differences of I civil cultures (speech and rite), the manner of migration, that is, whether it is
periodic, stable or temporary, whether it occurs in small groups or large, and I whether it is geographically confined or spread out (DSS 2001). In this situation,
the guiding principle to be kept in mind is that a form must be found which, even I taking into account the inevitable adaptations, would constantly respond to the
real needs of the migrants (DSS 2001). The same Instruction, 13, indicates more Iclearly the operating criteria: "In the pastoral care of immigrants, certain
structures and methods are proven by experience and use, though needing I I
- 32
permanecen incardinados en su diocesis de origen,bajo la jurisdiccion
del obispo en cuyo territorio ellos ejercer su ministerio pastoral,
tanto en cuanto a sus funciones pastorales, como a su vida personal
(DSS, 2075-2078). En realidad, esos sacerdotes corren el peligro de
encontrarse solos y sin ayuda. Para subvenir a sus necesidades, la
Constitucion Apostolica "Exsul familia" contemplaba la posibilidad
del nombramiento, hecho directamente por la Santa Sede, de un Director
de los misioneros de un mismo grupo etnico con incumbencias ajenas a
cualquier poder de gobierno 0 de pastoral, pero en cambio relacionadas
con la vida de los sacerdotes misioneros (DSS, 1138 y sigs.).
Esa figura ha permanecido, aunque bajo otro nombre, en la
"De pastorali migratorum cura". Se Ie llama Delegado para los misione
ros encargados de la pastoral de un determinado grupo etnico. Es, pues,
el delegado de los obispos diocesanos en cuyas diocesis los misioneros
llevan a cabo una pastoral. Es el delegado para los misioneros y no
para los emigrantes: desarrolla sus funciones, no como una responsabi
lidad pastoral hacia los emigrantes, sino como director de los misio
neros. "El Delegado para los misioneros, en razon de su cargo, no goza
de ninguna potestad de jurisdiccion, ni territorial, ni personal 'XDSS,
2100). La tarea del Delegado es de gUla espiritual y apoyo moral de
los misioneros, como tambien de vigilancia respecto a su conducta y
conformidad con las normas disciplinarias que les conciernen. Ya que
esos sacerdotes provienen de las Iglesias de origen de los emigrantes,
estas se hallan interesadas, de alguna manera en las funciones y res
ponsabilidades del Director y, por consiguiente, en su nombramiento
(DSS, 2098-2109). En efecto, "se elige previa consulta con las Confe
rencias episcopales interesadas y con la Conferencia de la Nacion en
la que el Delegado ejerce su ministeriol' (DSS, 2029).
Otro sector que merece especial atencion, por parte del Ordina
rio, son las estructuras parroquiales para los emigrantes. En particu
lar, el Codigo de Derecho Canonico, despues de que recomienda a los
pastores, tal como 10 hemos examinado, aquellos que tienen necesidad
de una pastoral especial extraordinaria, da dos indicaciones bastante
I
33 I accommodation to the circumstances of place, customs, and needs of the faithful"
(DSS 2064). I Indicated are then the personal parish, the mission with the care of souls, I
either autonomous or attached to a parish through a cooperating vicar.
I The criteria for the establishment of a personal parish are:
1) a great number of migrants of the same language, I 2) who live stably in one place or, even if continuously moving, still constitute
a large group. I These two criteria give helpful elements for the establishment of a personal
parish: in effect, there is a stable community with permanent needs for a specific I pastoral care. This situation arises principally in the large modern cities or
industrial centers where, for reasons of study or work, there is always a I concentration of ethnic groups which, even with the turnover inherent in the
migratory phenomenon, always represent a permanent community in need of the I pastoral care of the parish.
IBesides the parish, the Instruction recognizes a structure which is not
contemplated in the Code: the Mission with the Care of Souls. Such a mission
should be established especially in places where migrants do not expect to take up I a stable residence. Without the stability in the sense mentioned earlier, the
establishment of a parish is not even thinkable. Yet, considering the duration and I the numbers, these migrants need a pastoral care similar to that provided by a
parish, even with structures of a limited duration. The head of the Mission with I the care of souls has the same faculties and is equivalent to a parish priest by
virtue of the law itself (lnstr., 39; DSS 2083). I A Mission with the care of souls is a juridical structure which, as we have
said, goes beyond the Code and is soundly based on the tradition and juridical I practice of the Church. Reference to it is repeatedly made in the Apostolic
Constitution Exsul Familia, in the Instruction De Pastorali Migratorum Cura, and I in other documents. The Mission with the care of souls cannot be identified with
I
- 33
precisas: 1. la constitucion del capellan; 2. la ereccion de la parro
quia personal. Examinemos brevemente que son la parroquia personal y
el capellan en el Codigo de Derecho Canonico y a la luz de los docu
mentos y de la praxis de la pastoral de los emigrantes. As! pasamos
al tercer nivel de la estructura.
3. La parroquia personal 0 capellan!a
El Codigo de 1917 autorizaba la creacion de parroquias persona
les solo en virtud del indulto de la Sede Apostolica (can. 216, §4).
El principio que orientaba la organizacion de la Iglesia era el de la
territorialidad. De hecho, sin embargo, la praxis hab!a introducido
y favorecido las parroquias personales 0 nacionales, en razon del rito
y de la lengua de los diversos grupos etnicos.
Ante la nueva situacion del mundo, hoy, y en especial con la di
fusion del fenomeno de la movilidad masiva, el legislador ha tomado
nota de esta realidad y ha mitigado el principio de la territorialidad
con el de la personalidad en la organizacion de la vida de la Iglesia.
El principio 8Q de la revision del Codigo de Derecho Canonico dice:
"Debe revisarse de algun modo el principio de conservar la naturaleza
territorial del ejercicio del gobierno eclesiastico, pues hay razones
del apostolado moderno que parecen favorecer las unidades de regimen
personales". Es as! que el nuevo Codigo contempla la posibilidad de
diocesis e Iglesias particulares por razon del rito u otros motivos
semejantes (can. 372, §2), de prelaturas personales (can. 295) y de
parroquias (can. 518).
En cuanto a la parroquia, el can. 518, despues de haber reafir
mado el principio por el cual la parroquia, como regIa general, ha de
ser "territorial", sigue as!: "donde convenga, se ·constituiran parro
quias personales en razon del rito, de la lengua 0 de la nacionalidad
de los fieles de un territorio, 0 incluso por otra determinada razon".
Hay que senalar que - de acuerdo con el Codigo actual - la parro
quia personal se constituye all! donde esta sea, simplemente, conve
niente y util. Toca a la autoridad competente decidir acerca de esa
34
the quasi-parish, as indicated by Canon 516, #1, nor simply with a chaplaincy, as
in Canon 564 ff. It does not identify itself with a quasi-parish because Canon 516,
#1, describes the latter as "a certain community of Christ's faithful within a
particular Church, entrusted to a priest as its proper pastor, but because of
special circumstances not yet established as a parish". The quasi-parish tends to
become ultimately established as a parish. Furthermore it is not a personal but
a territorial entity. It cannot be identified with a chaplaincy either, for the
Director of the Mission with the care of souls is equivalent to a parish priest, with
the same rights and duties, albeit cumulatively with the territorial pastor. In
general, a chaplain is not given all the rights and duties of a parish priest; but
even where he has them, it would not be by virtue of law, but on the basis of a
mandate. Some distant link with the Mission with the care of souls could be seen
in #2 of Canon 516, which has a very broad reach: "Where some communities
cannot be established as parishes or quasi-parishes the diocesan Bishop is to
provide for their spiritual care in some other way". Anyway, it is not difficult
to discern the orientation of the ecclesiastic legislation: the normal basic structure
for the pastoral care in the parish.
Whereas the appointment of a chaplain is contemplated "when neither a
personal parish nor a Mission with the care of souls seems opportune" (DSS 2067).
Thus, even in the awareness of the variety of situations, the Instruction indicates
the personal parish or, if this is not possible, the Mission with the care of souls
as the normal structures for the specific pastoral care of migrants. Beyond the
diversity of juridical forms, the basic principle is always the same: the ordinary
pastoral care of the faithful is carried out by the parish, where they are given
adequate assistance.
Concerning the personal parish, we may mention the positive comment,
proven by history, reported in the Constitution Exsul Familia. After listing the
different structures used by the Church for the pastoral care of migrants, the
Constitution goes on by saying: "Such parishes, most frequently requested by the
emigrants themselves, were a source of great benefit both to dioceses and to souls.
Everyone recognizes this and respects it with due esteem" (Dss 1044).
* * *
•I
••••••••••••••• • II
- 34
utilidad, pero una vez que se haya acertado, se debera erlglr la pa
rroquia personal. Tambien el nombre 10 indica con mayor precision,
desde un punto de vista tecnico. En efecto, el adjetivo "personal"
califica la realidad jur{dica de que hablamos, mas que otros adjetivos
como nacional, etnico, ritual, etc., y tambien evita posibles equ{vo
cos. El aspecto personal viene a ser el criterio 0 principio de perte
nencia a una comunidad parroquial y, generalmente, es el domicilio 0
cuasidomicilio (can. 102). Sin embargo, el hecho de que uno pertenezca
a una parroquia personal no elimina, por 10 general, - a no ser que
las disposiciones de la autoridad competente sean distintas - el prin
cipio territorial general; por consiguiente, quien pertenece a una
parroquia personal, pertenece contemporaneamente tambien a la parro
quia territorial en razon del domicilio 0 cuasidomicilio. Por 10 tan
to, el parroco territorial goza sobre los miembros de la parroquia
personal de una potestad cumulativa con el parroco de la parroquia
personal. El parroco "personal", en cambio, tiene potestad solo sobre
aquellos miembros que, en razon del titulo de pertenencia, hacen parte
de su comunidad. Si se presenta un acto que es el resultado de la par
ticipacion de dos personas, por ejemplo en el caso del matrimonio, es
suficiente y necesario que por 10 menos una de las dos haga parte de
su comunidad parroquial (cf. can. 1110). Hay que subrayar, en fin, que
tambien la parroquia personal posee un criterio territorial complemen
tario, en cuanto la pertenencia a ella se da por un criterio personal,
pero siempre debe tratarse de fieles que viven en un determinado terri
torio.
De la legislacion del Codigo se pueden tomar las siguientes 11
neas de reflexion: la parroquia personal no debe considerarse como
una estructura que perturba la unidad y la homogeneidad de la organi
zacion en la vida de la diocesis; es uno de los instrumentos pastora
les, cuando no necesarios, ciertamente utiles para recibir a otros
grupos etnicos, nacionales 0 de los demas ritos, en la vida de la Igle
sia diocesana. Aun mas, la parroquia personal deber1a ser considerada,
con relacion a tales grupos, como el instrumento normal que respeta
contemporaneamente las diversas exigenc~as de la pastoral de los emi
I
I35
I would like to conclude by mentioning a problem which, at first sight, does
not seem directly and immediately of a pastoral nature: the study of the problems I raised by people on the move. The Church is concerned with these problems,
above all from a pastoral point of view. People on the move have always had an I enormous weight in our society; today more than yesterday. The religious
repercussions are hardly calculable. And yet, the Church has to know them if she I wants to find suitable remedies. The Instruction De Pastorali Migratorum Cura,
21 (DSS 2023, 2025) provided for a commission to study the problems of I emigration. The need for such a study has likewise been discussed at the First
World Congress for the Pastoral Care of Migrants, held in Rome in 1978 (24); and Iit is also mentioned in the Letter "Church and People on the Move", 40: "The
complexity and continuing evolution which are to be observed in the phenomenon
of people on the move make necessary, in order to give direction and purpose to I the pastoral activity, the work of complementary institutions, designed to keep
track of this phenomenon and arrive at an objective valuation of it. THis means I pastoral centers for ethnic groups, but above all interdisciplinary study centers,
that is, ones that would collate the material necessary for working out and putting I into practice a pastoral strategy. Here sociologists, psychologists,
anthropologists, economists, jurists and canonists, moralists and theologians would Igather together and, comparing their knowledge and experience along with those
who have the care of souls, would contribute to the further understanding of the
phenomenon and to proposing the means suitable to cope with it. I Such centers, already operating in various places, are destined to achieve I
greater efficiency by coordinating their efforts, something which is, in any case,
required by the international character of the phenomenon of people on the move" I (DSS 2479-2481).
IAware of the fact that such a task should be the concern primarily of
pastors and pastoral workers, the Pontifical Commission for the Pastoral Care of
Migrations has launched an interdisciplinary study of the pastoral themes of I mobility through a series of publications (26) which offer to Seminary teachers and
educators material to sensitize and prepare young people to face and solve the I problems of the pastoral care of migrants according to the directives of the
I I
- 35
grantes; a saber:
1) dar a los emigrantes la misma asistencia pastoral que reciben los
fieles del lugar;
2) proporcionarles esa asistencia por medio de un sacerdote que hable
su mismo idioma;
3) reconocer su patrimonio espiritual, sin forzar la integracion en
la sociedad que les recibe;
4) la asistencia pastoral especlfica debera prolongarse hasta que 10
exija una verdadera necesidad.
No obstante, la pastoral que se organiza alrededor de la parro
quia personal es, y sigue siendo, una estructura provisional, transi
toria, interina, hasta que se logre la insercion de los emigrantes en
la comunidad territorial ordinaria, con todo derecho. Hay que distin
guir, en efecto, la estabilidad de una persona jurldica como 10 es la
parroquia, de la comunidad de personas que se alternan en ella y la
utilizan por el tiempo limitado de sus necesidades. Es este el signi
ficado de la doble pertenencia: a la parroquia territorial y a la pa
rroquia personal. Lo mismo puede decirse de la potestad cumulativa de
ambos parrocos. Se trata de una opcion de libertad que la Iglesia deja
a sus fieles. Sin embargo, Ella los estimula con discrecion para que
se inserten, cuando puedan, en la normal pastoral diocesana (23). Los
responsables de la parroquia territorial y de la parroquia personal
deberan tener presente ese mismo objetivo, pero con la discrecion que
corresponde a las directivas de la Iglesia.
Ademas de la parroquia, el Codigo preve - para los emigrantes
tambien la Capellanla. El can. 568 establece la constitucion "en la
medida de 10 posible, de capel lanes para aquellos que por su genero
de vida no pueden gozar de la atencion parroqulal ordinaria, como son
los emigrantes, desterrados, profugos, nomadas, marinos".
La figura del capellan esta descrlta en forma bastante precisa
por el nuevo Codigo (can. 564-571). Esta provlsto de algunas faculta
des por derecho (can. 566, §1). Estrlctamente, en razon del derecho
36
Church (27).
Other initiatives are on the same line, such as the publication of the
documents of the Holy See by the Pontifical Commission (28) and the collection of
John Paul II's speeches on the same topic (29), the letter to Ordinaries concerning
the formation of seminarists on the problems of the pastoral care of migrants,
jointly prepared by the Congregation for Catholic Education and the Pontifical
Commission (30), and finally, a similar letter, signed by both the Congregation for
the Institutes of religious Life and the Pontifical Commission (Council), sent
recently to religious institutes to arouse their interest and to involve them in the
pastoral care of migrants.
The Church perceives in the phenomenon of people on the move the great
challenge she is called to take up. People on the move, beyond the human
tragedies and the injustices of which they are the victims, can be seen in the
context of a providential plan through which God calls them to personalize and
strengthen their faith, and to set up new communities of faith. From a pastoral
angle, it has to be seen and faced in that perspective. Many Christians have lost
their faith in the mobility (DSS 431). But in that same phenomenon we can discern
quite a number of positive aspects and effects (DSS 1982-1983, 2684, 2693, 1721).
"Travelling as such - says the letter "Church and People on the Move", 7
cannot be reckoned an enemy to faith, and the Church is making prudent efforts
to exploit its potential as an instrument of evangelization" (DSS 2389). "In many
cases - reminds us the same letter, 9 - the movement of people has exercised a
determining or at least notable influence on the birth and growth of new churches"
(DSS 2396). Thus, the work for migrants is a part of the work of evangelization
of the Church.
I
I
I I
I I
I I
I I
II I I I I II I , ,
--- 36
universal 0 particular, 0 por especial delegacion, puede tener todas
las facultades de un parroco con relacion a la comunidad que se Ie en
comienda.
Pero la diferencia entre parroquia y capellanla sigue existiendo,
aun cuando el capellan tenga todas las facultades de un parroco. El
parroco tiene sus facultades en virtud del derecho y no Ie pueden ser
limitadas, ni quitadas; las facultades del capellan, al serle encomen
dadas en gran parte por delegacion, son siempre revocables.
Ademas, el capellan actua siempre dentro de una parroquia y bajo
la autoridad del parroco: el campo de autonomla para su actividad pas
toral es necesariamente limitado.
En fin, y nos parece que esta reflex ion tiene mayor peso, el
capellan puede tener todas las facultades del parroco a nivel personal,
pero no existen - para su comunidad - todas aquellas estructuras que
el derecho contempla para que pueda construirse verdaderamente una
comunidad cristiana: Iglesia parroquial con aulas para el catecismo,
lugares de encuentro, etc ..• Precisamente en esa realidad amplia y ar
ticulada se puede organizar de manera adecuada la cura pastoral de una
comunidad. La capellanla, fuera de carecer de tales estructuras, no
tiene garantlas de estabilidad.
~Cual es la mejor respuesta que se puede dar para la pastoral
de los emigrantes: la parroquia 0 la capellan!a? Nos parece que es
posible encontrarla en la praxis y en las directrices de la Iglesia
que constituyen la fuente del Codigo. Pero hay que decir, antes que
todo, que la respuesta no puede ser igual en todos los casos. Lo dice
claramente la Instruccion "De pastorali migratorum cura" en el nQ 12
donde se lee: "En cuanto a los modos, las formas jur!dicas y la conve
niente duracion de la asistencia religiosa de los emigrantes, deben
ser considerados cuidadosamente en todos y en cada uno de los casos,
para ser as! adaptados a las diversas circunstancias" (DSS, 2000).
I
37 I NOTES I (1) The quotations are taken from Church and People on the Move. Documents
of the Holy See from 1883 to 1983. Edited by the Centro Studi Emigrazione,
Rome 1985. Henceforth we shall simply indicate DSS with the number of the I passage.
(2) Cf. GIULIVO TESSAROLO, The Church's Magna Charta for Migrants, St. I Charles Seminary, Staten Island, N. Y., 1962. The book, in addition to the
English translation of the Constitution, reproduces also the comments I published in the meantime.
(3) VELASIO DE PAOLIS, Aspetti canonici del magistero della S. Sede sulla Imobilita' umana, in nDSS", pp. XXXI-XLIX. See also V. DE PAOLIS, The
Pastoral Care of Migrants in the Teachings and the Directives of the IChurch, in nMigrations", vol. 1, ed. by the Pontifical Commission for the
Pastoral Care of Migrants, Vatican City, 1985, pp. 111-149.
(4) Id. Aspetti canonici ... , pp. XXXV -XXXVII. I (5) VELASIO DE PAOLIS, La cura dei migranti secondo il Motu Proprio
"Pastoralis Migratorum curan e l'Istruzione "De Pastorali Migratorum cura", I edited by the General Direction of the Scalabrinian Missionaries, Rome 1980,
pp. 149-219. Cf. also the German translation ... Die Seelsorge fur die IMenschen unterwegs nach dem Motu Proprio "Pastoralis migratorum curan
und nach der Instruktion "De Pastorali Migratorum Cura", Rome, 1981 (pro Imanuscripto) .
See also V. DE PAOLIS, De cura pastorali migratorum, in "Periodica", 70,
141-176. I (6) VELASIO DE PAOLIS, L'impegno della Chiesa nella pastorale della mobilita'
umana secondo il Codice di diritto canonico, in "Orizzonti pastorali oggi", I ed. Messaggero, Padua, 1987, pp. 129-157.
VELASIO DE PAOLIS, La mobilita' umana e il nuovo Codice di diritto Icanonico, in "On the Move", 45, 1985, pp. 111-149. Cf. also JEAN BEYER,
Le nouveau Code de droit canonique et la Pastorale de la mObilite', in "On Ithe Move", 39, 1983, pp. 3-28.
(7) Cf. in "Periodica", 72, 1983, p. 558.
(8) Cf. in "On the Move", 40, 1984, Giovanni Paolo II e la Mobilita' Umana. I ., J
- 37
Entre las circunstancias concretas que se deben tener en cuenta, la
Instruccion indica las siguientes: la duracion de la migracion; el pro
ceso de integracion (de la primera 0 de las sucesivas generaciones);
las diferencias culturales (de lenguaje 0 de rito); la forma del movi
miento migratorio, segun se trate de migracion periodica, estable 0
temporal, de migracion en pequenos grupos 0 en masa, de asentamientos
concentrados geograficamente 0 dispersos (DSS, 2001). En esta situa
cion, hay que tener muy presente el criterio que orienta a la Iglesia:
encontrar una forma que - a pesar de las continuas adaptaciones
corresponda a las efectivas necesidades de los emigrantes (DSS, 2001).
En el nQ 33, la misma Instruccion nos da criterios de accion mas pre
cisos: "AI prestar la asistencia pastoral a los inmigrantes, los prin
cipales modos y formas - que, se entiende, deben adaptarse a las diver
sas circunstancias y usos locales, ademas de las costumbres, y a las
necesidades de dichos fieles - son estos ... " Y luego senala la
parroquia personal y la mision con cura de almas, autonoma 0 aneja a
una parroquia por medio de un vicario cooperador.
La condiciones para estaelecer una parroquia personal son las
siguientes:
1) que haya un numero considerable de emigrantes de la misma lengua;
2) que ellos vivan de manera estable en un lugar, 0, de todos modos,
aunque se alternen continuamente, que constituyan siempre una can
tidad notable.
Estos dos criterios proporcionan los elementos que hacen posible
la insti~ucion de una parroquia personal, pues existe una comunidad
estable con la necesidad permanente de una cura pastoral espec{fica.
Esta situacion se verifica, en particular, en las grandes ciudades
modernas 0 en los grandes centros industriales donde, por razones de
estudio 0 de trabajo, hay siempre una concentracion de grupos etnicos
que - aun en medio de la rotacion {nsita en el fenomeno migratorio
constituyen siempre una comunidad permanente que necesita de los cui
dados pastorales de la parroquia.
38
II
I
I
(9) We have tried to read the texts from a canonistic point of view in the above
mentioned study in "DSS". We refer also to GIANFAUSTO ROSOLI, who
reads the same documents more from a historian's point of view, Alcune
considerazioni storiche su S. Sede e fenomeno della mobilita' umana, in
"DSS", pp. XIII-XXX.
(10) Today, however, the Church is called to review or to integrate her
directives in the face of a new situation. The large groups on the move
today are not Christian. The majority are Muslims. This is today's
challenge to the Church. Cf. "On the Move", 41, 1984. The competent
Congregation is that for the Evangelization of Peoples, Constitutions.
"Pastor Bonus", art. 85. There is also the Council for interfaith dialogue,
art. 162.
(11) A study in that perspective would be interesting. There have been many
interventions of the Church to protect the right to one's rite in the sector
I
••••••••••
J
Congregation for Oriental Churches even after the last reform of the ROman
Curia through the Constitution "Pastor Bonus", art. 59.
(12) DE PAOLIS, Aspetti canonici del magistero ... , art. const. p. XLVIII.
(13) The reading of the migratory phenomenon recurs frequently in the
documents of the Church. In particular, one can see what is said in the
letter "Church and People on the Move", 44, 4-7, DSS, 2378-2393.
(14) To be found especially in the notes 4-9 of the letter "Church and People on
the Move. But "DSSH is precisely the publication that includes all the
documents of the Holy See on people on the move. However, it should be
noted that these documents are only those published in "Acta Sanctae Sedis"
and in "Acta Apostolicae Sedis".
(15) The same definition is mentioned in the letter Church and People on the
Move, No.3 (DSS 2377).
(16) PIERANTONIO BONNET, Il diritto-dovere fondamentale del fedele migrante,
in "On the Move", 39, 1983, pp. 66-115. J(17) Cf. Atti Convegno Mondiale della pastorale dell'emigrazione 14-15 October
1985 in "On the Move", No. 46, 1985. See especially Msgr. GIULIO
NICOLINI, Integrazione ecclesiale degli immigrati corne esercizio di un diritto J di liberta' nei documenti della Chiesa, pp. 44-53; VELASIO DE PAOLIS,
J
of migrations. Consult "DSSH Anyhow, the competence rests with the•
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Ademas de la parroquia, la Instruccion menciona una estructura de
la que no hay rastro en el Codigo: la mision con cura de almas. Esta
se erige, sobre todo, alII donde los emigrantes no son estables. Al
faltar esa perspectiva de estabilidad, no se puede ni siquiera pensar
en constituir una parroquia. Sin embargo, ellos necesitan - tanto por
el tiempo como por su numero - una cura pastoral analoga a aquella
parroquial, aunque tenga estructuras de duracion limitada. El respon
sable de la mision con cura de almas tiene las mismas facultades y es
equiparable al parroco en paridad jurldica (Instrucc. nQ 39; DSS, 2083).
La mision con cura de almas es una estructura jurldica que
- como se ha dicho - va mas alIa del Codigo, y se basa en la tradicion
y en la praxis jurldica de la Iglesia. A ella se refieren varias veces
la Constitucion Apostolica "Exsul Familia", la Instruccion "De pasto
rali migratorum cura" y otros documentos. La mision con cura de almas
no se puede identificar con la cuasiparroquia, a la que se refiere el
can. 516, §1, ni simplemente con la capellanla,de la que hacen mencion
el can. 564 y sigs. No se identifica con la cuasiparroquia porque esta
se define en el can. 516, §1 como "una determinada comunidad de fieles
dentro de la Iglesia particular encomendada, como pastor propio, a un
sacerdote, perc que, por circunstancias peculiares, no ha side aun
erigida como parroquia". La cuasiparroquia, pues, tiende a hallar una
situacion definitiva en su constitucion como parroquia; ademas, no es
una entidad personal, sino territorial. La mision con cura de almas
tampoco se puede identificar con la capellan[a, porque su Director
se equipara al parroco y tiene todos sus derechos y deberes, aunque
en forma cumulativa con el parroco territorial. El capellan, por 10
general, no tiene todos los derechos y deberes del parroco; y aunque
los tuviese, esto no ser[a con paridad jur[dica, sino segun concesio
nes que recibe por delegacion. Se podr[a encontrar una lejana alusion
a la mision con cura de almas en el can. 516, §2, donde dice: "Cuando
algunas comunidades no puedan ser erigidas como parroquias 0 cuasipa
rroquias, el Obispo diocesano proveera de otra manera a la cura pasto
ral de las mismas". De todos modos, no es dif[cil entender la orienta
cion de la legislacion eclesiastica, a saber: la estructura normal,
fundamental, para la cura pastoral, es la parroquia.
39
Integrazione ecclesiale degli immigrati come esercizio di un diI'itto di liberta'
nella legislazione canonica della Chiesa, pp. 125-154.
(18) Yet, the idea of extraordinarity is sometimes stressed with very hard
expressions that are no longer to be found in later documents. Thus, for
example, in 1952, Pius XII said to missionaries working with Italian migrants
that these should understand that the assistance provided to them was an
extraordinary spiritual care, which allowed them, among others, to confess
themselves in their mother tongue, when this is not possible with indigenous
priests, but that in the meantime they should endeavor to attend the divine
services on Sundays together with the local people. They were to be
encouraged to accommodate themselves with the local religious life, and
above all, to get in touch with the Catholic organizations, especially the
workers and youth organizations (DSS 1963).
(19) JEAN BEYER, Fondamento ecclesiale della pastorale dell'emigrazione, in
"Migrazioni" CSER, Rome, pp. 9-33; E. CORECCO, La presenza dei migranti
nella Chiesa particolare: segno dell'immanenza reciproca fra Chiesa
universale e particolare, in "Orizzonti pastorali oggi", ed. Messaggero,
Padua, 1987, pp. 39-58.
(20) VELASIO DE PAOLIS, n Missionario per i migranti: carisma, compiti e
preparazione, in "On the Move" 39, 1983, pp. 116-182.
(21) GIANFAUSTO ROSOLI, Alcune considerazioni. .. , art. quoted, pp. XXI
XXII.
(22) The Instruction "De Pastorali Migratorum cura", No. 53, #1, mentions the
Congregation of Missionaries of Saint Charles-Scalabrinians, the Society of
Christ for Polish emigrants, the Pius Society of Saint Paul for emigrants
from Malta (DSS 2112). Exsul Familia mentions also the Society of the Holy
Angels in Badgodesberg (DSS 1082).
(23) The Pontifical Commission has organized a meeting with the religious
institutes from 4 to 6 December 1986. Cf. Atti, Religiosi e mobilita' umana,
in "People on the Move", No. 48.
(24) Cf. The World Congress for the Pastoral Care of Migrants in Rome, 14-19
October 1985, in "On the Move", No. 46.
( 25 ) Cf. n Congresso mondiale pastorale Emigrazione, in "On the Move", Nos. 26
27.
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En cambio, la constitucion del capell~n est~ prevista "todas
las veces que no parezca oportuna la ereccion de una parroquia perso
nal 0 de una mision con cura de almas" (DSS, 2067). La Instruccion,
pues, si bien es consciente de la variedad de las situaciones, indica
la parroquia personal y - cuando la ereccion de ~sta no sea posible
la mision con cura de almas como estructuras normales de la cura pas
toral especlfica de los emigrantes. Mas alIa de las diferencias jurl
dicas, se vuelve al principio fundamental: la cura pastoral ordinaria
para los fieles es aquella de la parroquia; alII es donde ellos encuen
tran el cuidado espiritual apropiado.
En cuanto a la parroqula personal, solicito que se me permita
mencionar el juicio positivo, comprobado por la historia, recordado
en la Constitucion Exsul Familia. Despu~s de haber enumerado las dis
tintas estructuras a trav~s de las cuales la Iglesia ha llevado a cabo
la pastoral de los emigrantes, la Constitucion habla aSl de las parro
quias personales: "Todos saben el beneficio que estas parroquias, vi
sitadas asiduamente por los extranjeros, han proporcionado a las almas
y a las diocesis, y todos las tienen en merecida consideracion" (DSS,
1044).
* * * * * * *
Quisiera terminar haciendo referencia a una cuestion que, a pri
mera vista, no parece directa e inmediatamente pastoral. Se trata del
estudio de los problemas planteados por la movilidad humana. La Igle
sia se preocupa por ellos, sobre todo desde un punta de vista pastoral.
La movilidad humana ha tenido siempre, en la sociedad, un enorme al
cance. Hoy dIa, mas que nunca. Las repercusiones en el campo religioso
son dlficiles de calcular. Sin embargo, la Iglesia las debe saber para
buscar las soluciones adecuadas. La Instruccion "De pastorali migrato
rum cura", en el nQ 21 (DSS, 2023. 2025), contemplaba la posibilidad
de una comision de estudio para los problemas de la emigracion. Sobre
la necesidad de estudiar los problemas de las migraciones se trato,
•
40
(26) A number of special issues of "On the Move" (marked
notebooks) are dedicated to various pastoral themes. We
I
I as university
refer to them I under the indication of the number and year of the issues: 33 (1981), 38
(1983), 39 (1983), 41 (1984). Other publications edited by the same I Pontifical Commission: "Migrations", Vatican City, 1985; "migrazioni", CSER,
Rome, 1985; "Orizzonti pastorali oggi, studi interdisciplinari sulla mobilita' I umana", ed. Messaggero, Padua, 1987; "Liturgia e mobilita' umana", ed.
Messaggero, Padua, 1987; "Maria, esule, itinerante, pia pellegrina",
Messaggero, Padua, 1988. I ( 27) VELASIO DE PAOLIS, La pastorale della mobilita' umana nella formazione
teologica nelle universita' e nei seminari, in "On the Move", 39, 1983, pp. I 29-38.
( 28) Cf. note l.
(29) Cf. note 3.
(30) See "Seminarium", De formatione ad pastoralem migratorum curam,
Dec. 1985.
I Oct., I
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tambien, en el primer congreso mundial de la pastoral migratoria, ce
lebrado en Roma en 1978 (24); de esto habla, igualmente, la Carta
"Iglesia y Movilidad Humana" en el nQ 40: "La complejidad y la fre
cuente evolucion que se registra en los fenomenos del movimiento hace
necesaria, para la orientacion de la pastoral, la obra de institucio
nes complementarias, destinadas a seguir tales fenomenos y a dar valo
raciones objetivas de los mismos. Se trata de centros pastorales para
grupos etnicos, pero sobre todo de centros de estudio interdisciplina
res, que reagrupen las materias necesarias para la elaboracion y la
actuacion de la pastoral. Sociologos, psicologos, antropologos, econo
mistas, juristas y canonistas, moralistas y teologos, al encontrarse
y confrontar sus respectivos conocimientos y experiencias, junto a
los pastores de almas, contribuyen a la profundizacion de los fenome
nos y a la indicacion de los medios adecuados.
Tales centros, ya en marcha en diversos lugares, estan destina
dos a obtener mediante su coordinacion mayor eficacia, como viene so
licitado, por otra parte, por la Indole internacional de la movilidad"
(DSS, 2479-2481).
La Pontificia Comision para la pastoral de los emigrantes, cons
ciente de que en tal tarea deben estar interesados sobre todo los pas
tores de almas y los agentes de pastoral en general, ha promovido el
estudio interdisciplinar de los temas pastorales de la movilidad con
una serie de publicaciones (26) que brindan a los profesores y a los
formadores, en los seminarios, material para sensibilizar y preparar
a los jovenes a afrontar y resolver, de acuerdo con las directrices
de la Iglesia, los problemas del cuidado pastoral de los emigrantes
(27).
Dentro de esa misma l!nea, tenewos la publicacion de los docu
mentos de la Santa Sede, promovida por la misma Pontificia Comision
(28); como tambien los discursos de Juan Pablo II sobre ese mismo ar
gumento (29); igualmente, el env!o a los Ordinarios de una carta sobre
la formacion de los seminaristas con relacion a los problemas de la
pastoral migratoria, preparada conjuntamente por la Congregacion para
I - 41 I
la Educacion Catolica y la misma Pontificia Comision (30). En estos I ultimos dlas, la Congregacion para los Institutos de vida consagrada
y la misma Pontificia Comision (Consejo) han dirigido una carta a los I institutos religiosos para sensibilizarlos e involucrarlos en la pas
toral de los emigrantes. I La Iglesia ve en el fenomeno de la movilidad humana el gran Idesaflo que Ella esta llamada a aceptar. Mas alIa de los dramas huma
nos y de las injusticias de que es vlctima, este fenomeno se puede
enfocar como designio providencial a traves del cual Dios llama a sus I protagonistas a personalizar y fortificar su fe y a crear nuevas comu
nidades de fe. Es aSl como se debe leer y encarar la movilidad humana, I desde un punto de vista pastoral. En ella ha naufragado la fe de mu
chos cristianos (DSS, 431); pero en ese mismo fenomeno se pueden per Icibir tambien muchos aspectos y resultados positivos (DSS, 1982-1983;
2684; 2693; 1721). I La movilidad humana en cuanto tal - nos dice la Carta "Iglesia
y Movilidad Humana ll en el nQ 7 - no puede ser considerada como enemiga I de la fe; y la Iglesia se esfuerza prudentemente en valorizar aquellas
virtualidades que la constituyen instrumento de evangelizacion" (DSS, I 2389). "En muchos casos - nos 10 recuerda esa misma Carta en el nQ 9
la movilidad humana ha resultado determinante 0 al menos ha ejercido I un notable influjo en el nacimiento y desarrollo de nuevas Iglesias"
(DSS, 2396). As!, pues, el compromiso en favor de la migraciones hace Itambien parte del compromiso de evangelizacion de la Iglesia.
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HOlAS:
(1) Citas tomadas de Chiesa e Mobilita Umana. Documenti della Santa Sede dal 1883 al 1983, publicada al cuidado del Centro Studi Emigrazione - Roma 1985. De ahora en adelante, se citara ese volumen con la abreviacion DSS y el numero correspondiente al trozo al que se hace referencia.
(2) Cf. GIULIVO TESSAROLO, The Church's Magna Charta for Migrants, St. Charles Seminary, State Island, N.Y., 1962. El libro, ademas de la traduccion en ingles de la Constitucion, incluye tambien comentarios.
(3) VELASIO DE PAOLIS, Aspetti canonici del magistero della S.Sede sulla mobilita umana, en: "DSS" , pags. XXXI-XLIX. Consultese tambien V. DE PAOLIS, The pastoral care of migrants in the teachings and the directives of the Church, in migrations, publicado por la Pont. Comision para la pastoral de los migrantes, Ciudad del Vaticano, 1985, pags. 111-149.
(4) Id. Aspetti canonici ... pags. XXXV-XXXVII.
(5) VELASIO DE PAOLIS, La cura dei migranti secondo il Motu Proprio "Pastoral is Migratorum cura" e l'Istruzione "De Pastorali Migratorum cura", en: "Per una pastorale dei migranti, editado por la Direccion General de los Misioneros Scalabrinianos, Roma, 1980, pags. 149-219. Cf. tambien la traduccion en aleman ..• Die Seelsorge fUr die Menschen unterwegs nach dem Motu Proprio "Pastoral is Migratorum cura" und nach der Instruktion "De Pastorali Migratorum cura", Roma, 1981 (pro manuscripto). Consultese tambien V. DE PAOLIS, De cura pastorali migratorum, en: "Periodica", 70, 141-176.
(6) VELASIO DE PAOLIS, L'impegno della Chiesa nella pastorale della mobilita umana secondo il Codice di diritto canonico, en: "Orizzonti pastorali oggi", ed. Messagero, Padova, 1987, pags. 129-157. VELASIO DE PAOLIS, La mobilita umana e il nuovo Codice di dirit to canonico", en: "On the Move", 45, 1985, pags. 111-149. Cf. tambien JEAN BEYER, Le nouveau Code de droit canonigue et la Pastorale de la mobilite, en: "On the Move", 39, 1983, pags. 3-28.
(7) Cf. en: "Per!odica", 72, 1983, p. 558.
(8) Cf. en: "On the Move", 40, 1984, Giovanni Paolo II e la Mobilita Umana.
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(9) Hemos procurado realizar una lectura desde un punta de vista canonista en el estudio mencionado en "055". Vease tambien GIANFAUSTO ROTOLI, quien lee los mismos documentos mas bien desde una perspectiva historica en: Alcune considerazioni storiche su S. Sede e fenomeno della mobilita umana, en "055", pags. XIII-XXX.
(10) La Iglesia esta llamada, hoy, sin embargo, a reconsiderar 0 a integrar sus directrices frente a una nueva situacion. Las grandes masas que se mueven, hoy dIa, no son cristianas. La mayorla son de fe musulmana. Es el desaflo a la Iglesia actual. Cf. "On the Move", 41, 1984. La Congregacion competente es aquella para la Evangelizacion de los pueblos, Const. "Pastor Bonus", art. 85. Esta tambien el Consejo para el dialogo interreligioso, art. 162.
(11) Serla interesante realizar un estudio desde esta perspectiva. Las intervenciones de la Iglesia en favor del derecho al propio rito en el sector de las migraciones, han sido numerosas. Es posible consultar en "055". Oe todas maneras, la competencia, segun 10 dice tambien la ultima reforma de la Curia Romana con la Consitucion "Pastor Bonus", sigue siendo de la Congregacion para las Iglesias Orientales, art. 59.
(12) OE PAOLIS, Aspetti canonici del magistero ... " art. const. p. XLVIII.
(13) La lectura del fenomeno migratorio se presenta a menudo en los documentos de la Iglesia. En particular, se puede ver 10 que dice de esto la carta "Iglesia y Movilidad Humana", 44, 4-7, 055, 2378-2393.
(14) Es posible localizarlos, en especial, en las notas 4-9 de la carta Iglesia y Movilidad Humana. Pero la publicacion "055" es precisamente la recopilacion de todos los documentos de la Santa Sede sobre la movilidad humana. Hay que senalar, sin embargo, que se trata solo de documentos que han sido publicados en: "Acta Sanctae Sedis" y en "Acta Apostolicae Sedis".
(15) Esa misma definicion es recordada en la Carta Iglesia y MovilIdad Humana, nQ 3 (055, 2377).
(16) PIERANTONIO BONNET, II diritto-dovere fondamentale del fedele migrante, en: "On the Move", 39, 1983, pags. 66-115.
(17) Cf. Atti Convegno Mondiale della pastorale dell'emigrazione, 14-15 ottobre 1985,en: "On the Move", nQ 46, 1985. Cf. en especial: Mons. GIULIO NICOLINI, Integrazione ecciesiale degil Immigrati come esercizio di un diritto dl Ilberta nei documentl della ChIesa, pags. 44-53; VELASIO DE PAOLIS, Integrazione ecclesiale degli Immigrati come esercizio di un diritto dl Ilberta nella legislazione canonica della Chiesa, pags. 125-154.
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(18) Sin embargo, se subraya la idea del caracter extraordinario, a veces con palabras tan duras que no se volveran a encontrar en documentos posteriores. Por ejemplo, Pio XII decla a los misioneros para los emigrantes italianos en 1952: "Haced aprender a los inmigrados italianos que vuestra asistencia espiritual es extraordinaria, que debe ofrecerles, entre otras cosas, la oportunidad de confesarse en su lengua materna, cuando esto no es posible con los sacerdotes indlgenas; pero que, mientras tanto, ellos deben pensar en asistir a los oficios divinos de los dlas festivos con los demas fieles del Pals. Animadlos a que se acostumbren a la vida religiosa del lugar y, sobre todo, a que se pongan en comunicacion con las organizaciones catolicas, especialmente de los trabajadores y de los jovenes" (DSS, 1963).
(19) JEAN BEYER, Fondamento ecclesiale della pastorale dell'emigrazione, en: "Migrazioni", CSER, Roma, pags. 9-33; E. CORECCO, La presenza dei migranti nella Chiesa particolare: segno dell'immanenza reciproca fra Chiesa universale e particolare, en: "Orizzonti pastorali oggi", ed. Messaggero, Padova, 1987, pags. 39-58.
(20) VELASIO DE PAOLIS, II Missionario per i migranti: carisma, compiti e preparazione, en: "On the Move", 39, 1983, pags. 116-182.
(21) GIANFAUSTO ROTOLI, Alcune considerazioni .... art. cit., p. XXI-XXII.
(22) La Instruccion "De Pastorali Migratorum cura", nQ 53, §1, recuerda la Congregacion de los misioneros de San Carlos-Scalabrinianos, la Sociedad de Cristo para los Emigrantes Polacos, la Sociedad de San Pablo para los Emigrantes Malteses (DSS, 2112). La Exsul Familia recuerda tambien la Sociedad de los Santos Angeles Custodios de Badgodesberg (DSS, 1082).
(23) Del 4 al 6 de diciembre de 1986, la Pontificia Comision promovio un encuentro con los Institutos religiosos. Cf. Actas, Religiosi e mobilita umana, en: "People On the Move", nQ 48.
(24) Cf. Congreso Mundial de la pastoral de la emigracion, celebrado en Roma del 14 al 19 de octubre, 1985; en: "On the Move", nQ 46.
(25) Cf. I Congresso Mondiale Pastorale Emigrazione, en: "On the Move", nn. 26-27.
(26) Algunos numeros especiales de "On the Move" (cuadernos universitarios) estan consagrados a los distintos temas de la pastoral. Nos remitimos a ellos indicando solamente los numeros y anos de la Revista: 33 (1981 );38 (1983); 39 (1983); 41 (1984). Otras publicaciones al cuidado de la misma Pontificia Comision: "Migrations", Vatican City, 1985; "Migrazioni", CSER, Roma, 1985; "Orizzonti pastorali oggi, studi interdisciplinari sulla mobilita umana", ed. Messaggero, Padova, 1987; "Liturgia e mobilita umana", ed. Messaggero, Padova, 1987; "Maria, esule, itinerante, pia pellegrina", ed. Messaggero, Padova, 1988.
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(27) VELASIO DE PAOLIS, La pastorale della mobilita umana nella formazione teologica neUe universita e nei seminari, en: "On I the Move", 39, 1983, pags. 29-38.
(28) Cf. nota (1). I (29) Cf. nota (3).
(30) Consultese: "Seminarium", De formatione ad pastoralem migratorum I curam, oct., die. 1985.
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