Migration Plenary: Spotlight on North and Central America

(Vatican Radio) Forced migration and how it can be tackled from a pastoral perspective. That is the subject of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People’s Plenary Assembly taking place in the Vatican.
Entitled “The Pastoral Solicitude of the Church in the context of Forced Migration” the Plenary is looking at the plight of people forced to flee, in many cases, conflict and persecution in their own countries.
One of the speakers participating at the event is US Bishop John Wester of Salt Lake City, he addressed the Assembly on the phenomenon of forced migration from the perspective of North and Central America.
Speaking to Lydia O’Kane, he says many people are being forced to migrate because of economic reasons but others he adds are “being pushed from political persecution aswell, persecution in the form of violence, gang violence for example, drug cartels, people who are being caught up in the crossfire.”
Bishop Wester also stresses the importance of education for those who are forced to migrate saying education is “the key out of poverty”. Listen to Lydia O’Kane’s interview with Bishop John Wester