Pope Francis: Caring for refugees on the run 'virus of injustice, violence and war'

Pope Francis urged Catholics to take care of people fleeing "from the viruses of injustice, violence and war," in a message on the 40th anniversary of the Jesuit Refugee Service.

In a letter published on the JRS website on November 12, the pope wrote that the coronavirus pandemic had shown that all humans were "in the same boat".

“In fact, too many people in today's world are literally forced to cling to rafts and rubber boats in an attempt to seek refuge from the viruses of injustice, violence and war,” the pope said in a message to the JRS international director. . Thomas H. Smolich, SJ

Pope Francis recalled that JRS was founded in November 1980 by Fr. Pedro Arrupe, Jesuit Superior General from 1965 to 1983. Arrupe was pressured to act after witnessing the plight of hundreds of thousands of South Vietnamese refugees fleeing by boat after the Vietnam War.

Arrupe wrote to more than 50 Jesuit provinces asking them to help oversee a global humanitarian response to the crisis. JRS was founded and started working among Vietnamese boat people in the fields in Southeast Asia.

"P. Arrupe translated his shock at the suffering of those fleeing their homeland in search of safety following the war in Vietnam into a deeply practical concern for their physical, psychological and spiritual well-being ", wrote the pope in the letter of 4 October.

The pope said that Arrupe's "deeply Christian and Ignatian desire to care for the well-being of all those in utter despair" has continued to guide the work of the organization today in 56 countries.

He continued: "In the face of such serious inequalities, JRS has a key role to play in raising awareness of the situation of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons."

"Yours is the vital task of extending the hand of friendship to those who are alone, separated from their families or even abandoned, accompanying them and giving them a voice, above all by providing them with opportunities for growth through educational and development programs".

"Your testimony of God's love in serving refugees and migrants is also essential for building that 'culture of encounter' which alone can provide the basis for authentic and lasting solidarity for the good of our human family".

JRS expanded beyond Southeast Asia in the 80s, extending to refugees and internally displaced persons in Central and Latin America, Southeast Europe and Africa. Today, the organization supports nearly 680.000 people around the world through 10 regional offices and its international office in Rome.

The Pope concluded: "Looking to the future, I am confident that no setback or challenge, whether personal or institutional, will be able to distract or discourage you from responding generously to this urgent call to promote the culture of closeness and encounter through your resolute defense. of those you accompany every day "