In a national pastoral letter to all Catholic parishes in Scotland to mark Justice and Peace Sunday on 6 January 2008, President of the Justice and Peace Commission, Bishop Peter Moran has chosen refugees and asylum as his theme. The text of the letter is shown below, followed by information on how parishes can maximise the impact of Justice and Peace Sunday.

Letter on Justice and Peace by the President, Bishop Peter Moran, to be read
6 January 2008


“In his days justice shall flourish, and peace till the moon fails.”
The Wise Men came to the new-born king. They came to acknowledge his dignity.
But in today’s Gospel we hear how the Wise Men themselves were exploited by Herod.
And in last Sunday’s Gospel we heard how their visit forced the Holy Family into exile.
In today’s world, millions of people are in exile from their own country. Some move for better wages or conditions – the migrants. Some move in desperation – the refugees. Some move because of danger and terror – the asylum-seekers.

Migrants are at risk of being exploited. If Herod could exploit the Wise Men, how much easier to exploit strangers who don’t speak the language.
At Bethlehem, hardly anybody recognised the dignity of the baby in the stable: migrants today can so easily lose their dignity.
We recognise that Christ child as our King. We claim to be citizens of his kingdom.
“In his days, justice shall flourish, and peace till the moon fails.”

Many parishes in Scotland have Justice and Peace groups. They work for Fair Trade, for an end to the Nuclear Threat, for Justice for refugees, and other urgent causes.
Nationally, the Justice and Peace Commission promotes the same aims. Today, as its President, I appeal to you particularly for the dignity of those in exile and those who are exploited.
But what can you do?

Here are some simple but effective actions:

1.Find out more – from newspapers, magazines, or the Justice and Peace website.
2.Join a Justice and Peace group – or start one if none exists near you..
3.Give what you can to today’s collection for the work of Justice and Peace.
4.Talk Justice and Peace – bring it into conversation with friends.
5.Smile to the migrants you meet working in the shops and restaurants.

Justice and Peace has to start right here among us, right now.

Thank you, and God bless you.
Bishop Peter Moran




FURTHER RESOURCES:

It is worth letting people know about Justice and Peace Sunday. Speak to the parish priest about putting a notice in the newsletter or a mention at Mass the Sunday before. Something like the following:

Next Sunday/Today we celebrate Justice and Peace Sunday, which offers us an opportunity to reflect on the letter from the President of the Justice and Peace Commission, Bishop Moran. There will also be a special collection to support the promotion of justice and peace in Scotland.

The Justice and Peace Commission has an excellent website www.justiceandpeacescotland.org.uk and information on many of the important issues of the day. You can sign up for email updates and find information on how to subscribe to the magazine of the Justice and Peace Commission. You can also contact the Justice and Peace Commission by phone 0141 333 0238 or by post at Justice and Peace Scotland, 65 Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 2BX.

This year Bishop Peter has chosen refugees and asylum as his theme.
In his days justice shall flourish and peace till the moon fails. Psalm 71:7
A very good web page for information and for dispelling many of the lies that are peddled in the media can be found at
http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/practice/basics/truth.htm
The Scottish dimension is well covered at
http://www.scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk/
Statistics can be found at
http://www.asylumscotland.org.uk/asylumstatistics.php
News on current campaigns and legislation can be found at National Coalition of anti Deportation Campaigns
http://www.ncadc.org.uk/
“Concern for refugees must lead us to reaffirm and highlight universally recognized human rights, and to ask that the effective recognition of these rights be guaranteed to refugees”
Pope John Paul II in Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, n505
There is an excellent summary of the issues in the booklet The Dispossessed: A brief guide to the Catholic Church’s concern for refugees and migrants produced by thhe Office for Refugee Policy of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales available to download at
http://www.catholic-ew.org.uk/resource/dispossessed/thedispossessed.pdf

For an index of recent Church statements, see
http://www.zenit.org/tag1-367-0

Prayers of the Faithful (may be added to your own parish prayers)
* We pray for our Church. May we have the courage to speak and act in honesty and truth so that we can be true instruments of healing and reconciliation in our community and the world.
Lord, in your mercy: Hear our prayer.
* You experienced in your own life the threat of persecution, and with your family you knew the anguish of exile. Protect and care for those seeking refuge from persecution today.
Lord, in your mercy: Hear our prayer.
* Eventually, all of us are the children of migrants. Teach us compassion for today's migrants, who, given a chance, have much to offer.
Lord, in your mercy: Hear our prayer.
* Remember those away from home, for whatever reason. Help us to be good neighbours and to offer the gift of hospitality.
Lord, in your mercy: Hear our prayer.
Prayer
Lord, no one is a stranger to you
and no one is ever
far from your loving care.
In your kindness watch over
refugees and exiles,
those separated from their loved ones,
young people who are lost,
and those who have left
or run away from home.
Bring them back safely
to the place where they long to be
and help us always
to show your kindness
to strangers and those in need.
Roman Missal: For Refugees and Exiles