In his address to the bishops of the United States on Feb. 11 Pope Francis wrote, “The Son of God, in becoming man, also chose to live the drama of immigration.” Francis pointed out the social doctrine of the Church, that even Jesus Christ experienc-ed the difficulty of leav-ing his own land because of a risk to his life and of taking refuge in a foreign society and culture.
Calling it the “Mag-na Carta” of the Chur-ch’s thinking on migra-tion, Francis cited a pa-ssage from Pope Pius XII’s apostolic consti-tution on the care of migrants, Exsul Familia Nazarethana, which says: “The family of Nazareth in exile, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, emi-grants in Egypt and refugees there to escape the wrath of an ungodly king, are the model, the example, and the conso-lation of emigrants and pilgrims of every age and country, of all refugees of every condition who, beset by persecution or necessity, are forced to leave their homeland, beloved family, and dear friends for foreign lan-ds.” “Likewise,” Pope Francis commented, “Jesus Christ, loving everyone with a univer-sal love, educates us in the permanent recogni-tion of the dignity of eve-ry human being, without exception.”