Keeping the faith: Muslim immigrants integrate with Christians' help

Published: 2008-05-19

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- With the Vatican combining two priorities into one meeting, the special needs of immigrant families were the center of attention at the plenary meeting of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers. The members of the council -- cardinals and bishops from around the world -- and invited experts spent three days discussing the special needs of families on the move. Within their concern for the family and for migration, they reviewed church teaching on the family, explored the latest statistics on immigration patterns and offered practical advice for pastors. A recurring theme of the meeting was the challenge posed by cultural and religious differences between new arrivals and their host countries. Sara Silvestri, a young Italian political science professor at City University in London, spoke of the importance of intercultural dialogue in helping immigrant families stay united, integrate into their new societies and strengthen those societies with their values. Looking at the countries the immigrants came from, their reason for moving and how long ago they resettled, Silvestri is convinced that the key obstacle to integration is economic difficulty, particularly because of unemployment or underemployment.

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