Pastoral Letter “Migrants and Pilgrims of Hope”
released in January 2025 :
Bishop Paolo Martinelli, OFM Cap., Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia, reflects on the Jubilee Year 2025 emphasizing in particular its theme “Pilgrims of Hope” and the characteristic of our Church in the Gulf, a Church of migrants, always on the move.
In his new pastoral letter "Migrants and Pilgrims of Hope", released in January 2025, Bishop Paolo Martinelli, OFM Cap., Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia, reflects on the Jubilee Year 2025 emphasizing in particular its theme “Pilgrims of Hope” and the characteristic of our Church in the Gulf, a Church of migrants, always on the move.
The letter stresses that Christian hope, founded on God's love rather than mere optimism, that remains even in tribulation, is particularly relevant for the migrant faithful who face challenges of separation, adaptation, and temporariness in their lives.
Bp Paolo incites us to view our migrant status as part of our spiritual journey, walking towards the Kingdom of heaven, placing our hope only in Christ. “If we fix our hope on things that pass away, we expose ourselves to disappointment because everything changes. But if we recognize that Christ is our hope, we will also be able to live difficult situations with patience and tenacity, knowing that the Lord always brings to completion the good that he began in us.”
On this journey, the bishop encourages us to support each other and walk together in faith and unity, as expressed in the Nicene Creed as we celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea during this Jubilee year.
Concluding the letter, Bp Paolo invites us to do a pilgrimage to one of the shrine churches to experience God’s mercy, and to participate in the meetings that will be held in the parishes to deepen the content of our faith, helping us “to discover how the Christian faith changes life, renews our heart and changes our relationships, our way of understanding and feeling daily life, in the light of the love of God who revealed himself in Jesus and in the gift of the Holy Spirit”.
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