Good morning, Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, Members of Parliament.
Firstly, allow me to thank you for welcoming us so warmly. I believe that this meeting is very significant because the issue we will touch upon today is very important to us.
To mark the 93rd World Day for Migrants and Refugees, Pope Benedict XVI has chosen the “migrant family“ as his theme. Recognizing that the experience of migration often leaves refugee and immigrant families disfigured and weakened, the Pope challenges us — churches, social society and governments alike — to make certain that everything is done to guarantee the rights and dignity of these families.
Allow me to put this call in a clearer context. Today, two children from my diocese are lost in Rwanda. Patrick is 10, and Angel is 14—