MESSAGE OF THE HOLY FATHER
TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE “MEAL OF ENCOUNTER”
IN THE “SAINT JOHN PAUL II” CARITAS SOUP KITCHEN
IN VIA MARSALA, ROME

Dear Brother and Dear Sisters,

With this message I wish to encourage you to continue your journey with migrants and refugees, and to share a meal with them, like the one organized here by Caritas.

As Caritas, you have accepted the invitation to start a global awareness initiative in support of migrants and refugees: it is the “Share the Journey” campaign, which we inaugurated together last 27 September. Today, I would like to invite you all — migrants, refugees, Caritas workers and institutions — to identify the traits of this journey that have had the most impact on you: what hope inspires your path? Try to share this thought and to “celebrate” what we have in common.

Finally, I wish to encourage you members of Caritas, the community of faithful with its pastors, and all people of good will, to always create new spaces for sharing, so that a renewed fraternity with migrants and refugees may emerge from our encounters.

I heartily bless your soup kitchen, and I wish you a good lunch.

From the Vatican, 19 June 2018

Francis