Archbishop Antonio J. Ledesma also called for aid to sustain the families of OFWs in Libya and other countries in conflict during Sunday’s celebration of the 25th National Migrant Sunday.
Echoing the message of Pope Benedict XVI, Ledesma said that more than anything else at present, the OFWs and their families need prayer and material aid to sustain them in these most trying times.
“Let us all offer our prayers for our brother and sister Filipinos who are in Libya and in other countries now in conflict that they may find shelters of refuge and safety. Let us also offer aid to their families here who like them are suffering because of the war in the countries their love ones are working in,” he said.
Ledesma, who arrived from the Vatican last Friday, shared with TIGBALITA the high esteem the Pope have for the OFWs.
“He knows that a big part of our population is working overseas. OFWs are also carriers of the Gospel and in their own way, they are also the new evangelizers,” he said.
The Jesuit archbishop said that while in the Vatican together with other Filipino bishops, the Pope shared that he is very concerned with what is happening in North Africa.
Pope Benedict XVI also lamented the deaths and humanitarian crisis caused by the fighting in Libya between forces loyal to longtime strongman Moammar Gadhafi and those demanding his ouster.
“My heartfelt thoughts go out to Libya, where recent clashes have caused many deaths and a growing humanitarian crisis," Benedict said in his first public comments on the fighting in the North African country. To all the victims and to those who find themselves in situations of anguish, I assure my prayers and my closeness, while I call for aid and help for the stricken populations,” the Pope said the other Sunday (March 6).
The Philippine Church celebrated yesterday (Sunday, March 13) the 25th National Migrant Sunday with the theme “25 Years and Beyond… Pastoral Commitment of Caring for Filipino Migrants and their Families.”
The annual celebration of National Migrant Sunday started at the Archdiocese of Manila in 1986, said Fr. Edwin Corros, executive secretary of the Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerant People (ECMI) of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
Yesterday, churches all over the Philippines offered prayers for the safety of OFWs in the Middle East and North Africa who are all facing uncertainties because of the conflict there.
The celebration also highlighted the OFWs contribution to the country and to world in general and also their heroism.
“The Holy Father is looking at what is happening now in North Africa from the point of view of how Christians in a minority situation can still help our brother and sisters in other cultural communities in those
areas,” Ledesma said.
In its Facebook “Notes” posted last January, the CBCP-ECMI noted that “for 25 long years, the phenomenon of Filipino migration has not actually changed. The annual event attempts to create awareness among Filipino citizens on the complex realities brought by Filipino migration not only to the country, but most especially to the Filipino family. The Church expresses her great concern on the effects of migration to the family when parents have to leave their children to the care of relatives or one of the parents, all for the sake of bringing back material security or attain an improved economic life.”
“Meanwhile, the worsening situation of families of migrants breaking up had continued to be witnessed by our migrant pastoral leaders. This has been their real concern as society has come to accept it as too ordinary. There is a great desire to be of help, but the structures for this ministry are limited. There are not enough volunteers to assist the affected family members or places to conduct the activities and hold their programs. These are just some of the initial assessment expressed by some diocesan migrant pastoral leaders,” it added. (Bong D. Fabe)
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