Hatred towards migrants is a worrying phenomenon – Bishop

Hatred against irregular immigrants is a worrying phenomenon and tackling it has become “a pastoral urgency” for the Church, according to Auxiliary Bishop Charles Scicluna. But addressing the problem went beyond statements of condemnation by the bishops, Mgr Scicluna said, reacting to criticism that the Church’s silence on the plight of African migrants was deafening. The Sunday Times of Malta columnist Fr Joe Borg wrote that the silence of the bishops “risks putting water on the xenophobic grindstone of many”, adding the Church’s absence on the issue made him “sad”. These sentiments were reflected in another column by Lino Spiteri yesterday, who urged the bishops to speak out about immigration and “the growing tendency” to view the topic in racist terms. Mgr Scicluna said he respected the columnists’ views and appreciated their criticism. “I agree with Fr Joe Borg that there is a pastoral urgency to address this matter because when I see God’s people, either out of fear or panic, resort to hatred it worries me a lot.” However, he added the Church could not rely on a strategy that simply reacted to the happenings through statements and he would be speaking about the matter with...