Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants
Encyclopedia
The Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants (Pontificium Consilium de Spirituali Migrantium atque Itinerantium Cura) is a dicastery
of the Roman Curia
. The Council, established by Pope John Paul II
on 28 June 1988, is dedicated to the spiritual welfare
of migrant
and itinerant
people.
The current President
of Council is Archbishop
Antonio Maria Vegliò
, who was appointed as such by Pope Benedict XVI
on 28 February 2009. The current Secretary is Bishop
Joseph Kalathiparambil
, who was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday, February 22, 2011, and who had until then been serving as the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Calicut, India.
on the Roman Curia, Pastor Bonus
, promulgated by Pope John Paul II
on 28 June 1988: "The Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care
of Migrants
and Itinerant
People brings the pastoral concern of the Church
to bear on the special needs of those who have been forced to leave their native land or who do not have one. It also sees to it that these matters are considered with the attention they deserve." Articles 150 and 151 also number refugee
s, exile
s, nomad
s, circus
workers, sailor
s, airport
or airplane workers, and Christians
taking pilgrimage
s as being under the Council's care.
, with the Office for the Spiritual Care of Emigrants later replacing it. In 1952, within the Sacred Consistorial Congregation
, Pope Pius XII
founded the Superior Council for Emigrants and the General Secretariat for the Direction of the Apostolatus Maris; in 1958, the General Direction of the Apostleship of the Skies or the Air was also erected. Pope Paul VI
founded the International Secretariat for the Direction of the Apostolatus Nomadum in the same dicastery
in 1965.
In 1967, Pope Paul instituted the Office for the Pastoral Care of people who are part of the complex phenomenon known commonly as "Tourism
" in the Congregation for the Clergy
. On March 19, 1970, Paul condensed all sectors dealing with human mobility into the Pontifical Commission for the Spiritual Care of Migrants and Itinerants, in the motu proprio
Apostolicae Caritatis. The Commission was made dependent on the Congregation for Bishops but this dependence was eventually terminated by Pastor Bonus, which granted it the status of a Pontifical Council.
In 2009, there were reports that the Pontifical Council might be shut down within the existing papal mandate, although these have not yet been confirmed publicly.
The Council has a large number of "members", who attend a meeting in Rome, in principle every year. As well as 30 episcopal
members, they include the following cardinals
: Georg Sterzinsky, Adam Maida, Aloysius Ambrozic, Geraldo Majella Agnelo, Pedro Rubiano Sáenz, Theodore Edgar McCarrick, Keith O'Brien
.
In addition, the Council can at any time call on some 15 counsellors for advice.
Dicastery
Dicastery is an Italicism sometimes used in English to refer to the Departments of the Roman Curia....
of the Roman Curia
Roman Curia
The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Catholic Church, together with the Pope...
. The Council, established by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
on 28 June 1988, is dedicated to the spiritual welfare
Pastoral care
Pastoral care is the ministry of care and counseling provided by pastors, chaplains and other religious leaders to members of their church or congregation, or to persons of all faiths and none within institutional settings. This can range anywhere from home visitation to formal counseling provided...
of migrant
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
and itinerant
Itinerant
An itinerant is a person who travels from place to place with no fixed home. The term comes from the late 16th century: from late Latin itinerant , from the verb itinerari, from Latin iter, itiner ....
people.
The current President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of Council is Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
Antonio Maria Vegliò
Antonio Maria Vegliò
Antonio Maria Vegliò is an Italian Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church, who has served as Vatican diplomat and in the Roman Curia...
, who was appointed as such by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
on 28 February 2009. The current Secretary is Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
Joseph Kalathiparambil
Joseph Kalathiparambil
Joseph Kalathiparambil is the Bishop of Kozhikode and secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants.-References:Bishop Joseph Kalathiparambil was bishop of Calicut of the Latin Rite....
, who was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday, February 22, 2011, and who had until then been serving as the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Calicut, India.
Role
According to Article 149 of the Apostolic ConstitutionApostolic constitution
An apostolic constitution is the highest level of decree issued by the Pope. The use of the term constitution comes from Latin constitutio, which referred to any important law issued by the Roman emperor, and is retained in church documents because of the inheritance that the canon law of the...
on the Roman Curia, Pastor Bonus
Pastor Bonus
Pastor Bonus is an Apostolic Constitution promulgated by Pope John Paul II on 28 June 1988. It instituted a number of reforms in the process of running the central government of the Roman Catholic Church, as article 1 states "The Roman Curia is the complex of dicasteries and institutes which help...
, promulgated by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
on 28 June 1988: "The Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care
Pastoral Care
Liber Regulae Pastoralis or Regula Pastoralis is a treatise on the responsibilities of the clergy written by Pope Gregory I around the year 590, shortly after his papal inauguration...
of Migrants
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
and Itinerant
Itinerant
An itinerant is a person who travels from place to place with no fixed home. The term comes from the late 16th century: from late Latin itinerant , from the verb itinerari, from Latin iter, itiner ....
People brings the pastoral concern of the Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
to bear on the special needs of those who have been forced to leave their native land or who do not have one. It also sees to it that these matters are considered with the attention they deserve." Articles 150 and 151 also number refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
s, exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
s, nomad
Nomad
Nomadic people , commonly known as itinerants in modern-day contexts, are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but...
s, circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
workers, sailor
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
s, airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
or airplane workers, and Christians
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
taking pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
s as being under the Council's care.
History
During the nineteenth century, "movement" was under the jurisdiction of the Congregation for the Propagation of the FaithCongregation for the Evangelization of Peoples
The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples in Rome is the congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for missionary work and related activities...
, with the Office for the Spiritual Care of Emigrants later replacing it. In 1952, within the Sacred Consistorial Congregation
Congregation for Bishops
The Congregation for Bishops is the congregation of the Roman Curia which oversees the selection of new bishops that are not in mission territories or those areas that come under the jurisdiction of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches who deal with the Eastern Catholics, pending papal...
, Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
founded the Superior Council for Emigrants and the General Secretariat for the Direction of the Apostolatus Maris; in 1958, the General Direction of the Apostleship of the Skies or the Air was also erected. Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
founded the International Secretariat for the Direction of the Apostolatus Nomadum in the same dicastery
Dicastery
Dicastery is an Italicism sometimes used in English to refer to the Departments of the Roman Curia....
in 1965.
In 1967, Pope Paul instituted the Office for the Pastoral Care of people who are part of the complex phenomenon known commonly as "Tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
" in the Congregation for the Clergy
Congregation for the Clergy
The Sacred Congregation for the Clergy is the congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for overseeing matters regarding priests and deacons not belonging to religious orders...
. On March 19, 1970, Paul condensed all sectors dealing with human mobility into the Pontifical Commission for the Spiritual Care of Migrants and Itinerants, in the motu proprio
Motu proprio
A motu proprio is a document issued by the Pope on his own initiative and personally signed by him....
Apostolicae Caritatis. The Commission was made dependent on the Congregation for Bishops but this dependence was eventually terminated by Pastor Bonus, which granted it the status of a Pontifical Council.
In 2009, there were reports that the Pontifical Council might be shut down within the existing papal mandate, although these have not yet been confirmed publicly.
Current structure
- President: Archbishop Antonio Maria VegliòAntonio Maria VegliòAntonio Maria Vegliò is an Italian Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church, who has served as Vatican diplomat and in the Roman Curia...
- President EmeritusEmeritusEmeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
: Cardinal Giovanni CheliGiovanni CheliGiovanni Cheli is a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and was, along with Achille Silvestrini and Pio Laghi, one of the most prominent Vatican diplomats under Pope John Paul II.-Early life and ordination:...
- President Emeritus
- Secretary: BishopBishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
Joseph KalathiparambilJoseph KalathiparambilJoseph Kalathiparambil is the Bishop of Kozhikode and secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants.-References:Bishop Joseph Kalathiparambil was bishop of Calicut of the Latin Rite.... - Undersecretary: Father Gabriele Ferdinando Bentivoglio, C.S.
- Other staff: 12 (lay, religious and clergy)
The Council has a large number of "members", who attend a meeting in Rome, in principle every year. As well as 30 episcopal
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
members, they include the following cardinals
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
: Georg Sterzinsky, Adam Maida, Aloysius Ambrozic, Geraldo Majella Agnelo, Pedro Rubiano Sáenz, Theodore Edgar McCarrick, Keith O'Brien
Keith Michael Patrick O'Brien
Keith Michael Patrick O'Brien is a Scottish Cardinal and the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh of the Roman Catholic Church. O'Brien is currently the only living Cardinal from Scotland....
.
In addition, the Council can at any time call on some 15 counsellors for advice.
List of presidents
- Carlo Confalonieri (1970 - 1973)
- Emanuele Clarizio (1970 - 1986, pro-president)
- Bernardin Gantin (1984 - 1989)
- Giovanni CheliGiovanni CheliGiovanni Cheli is a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and was, along with Achille Silvestrini and Pio Laghi, one of the most prominent Vatican diplomats under Pope John Paul II.-Early life and ordination:...
(1986 - 1998, pro-president and later president) - Stephen Fumio Hamao (1998 - 2006)
- Renato Martino (2006 - 2009)
- Antonio Maria VegliòAntonio Maria VegliòAntonio Maria Vegliò is an Italian Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church, who has served as Vatican diplomat and in the Roman Curia...
(2009 - )