General Intention for the month of August 09

(July 31, 2009) Here is the General Intention of Holy Father for the month of August: that the world may become aware of the plight of the millions of Refugees, the displaced persons and find solutions to their tragic conditions. Nearly 40 million people around the world are uprooted from their homes and communities by persecution and armed conflict. The Church, "a sign and instrument of communion with God and of unity among all men," accepts the call to build a civilization of love and commits herself to bringing it about through her various internal structures, her initiatives of service, and of ecumenical and inter-religious cooperation. She offers a disinterested love to all refugees, calls public attention to their situation, and contributes with her ethical and religious vision to restore and uphold the dignity of every human person. Human solidarity, as witnessed by any community that welcomes refugees and by the commitment of national and international organizations that care for them, is a source of hope for the real possibility of living together in fraternity and peace. When we are aware that each refugee is a real person, not just a number, and our heart should move to join the Holy Father in his prayers for them. A great number of people are forcibly uprooted from their homes without crossing national frontiers. In fact during revolutions and counterrevolutions, the civilian population is often caught in the cross-fire of guerrilla and government forces fighting each other for ideological reasons or for the ownership of land and national resources. In the case of the so-called "economic migrants", justice and equity demand that appropriate distinctions be made. The Holy Father invites all to live together within the universal human family is closely linked to the growth of a mentality of hospitality, keeping in mind the work of the Church Organisations, the Jesuit Refugee Service and other NGO units, he invites us to increase our awareness, prayer, and action on behalf of refugees.