Pope Francis has announced the theme for the 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, calling migrants and refugees “missionaries of hope”. This year’s theme highlights the courage and tenacity of migrants and refugees who bear witness to their hope for the future despite their difficulties.
The World Day of Migrants and Refugees will be celebrated on October 4-5, coinciding with the Jubilee of Migrants and the Missionary World. Pope Francis chose this theme to emphasize the important role migrants and refugees play in promoting interreligious dialogue and revitalizing faith in their host communities.
The Vatican statement noted that migrants and refugees “remind the Church of the ultimate goal of the earthly pilgrimage, that is, reaching the future homeland”. Pope Francis also shared on his X account, “Many migrants and refugees bear witness to hope through their trust in God”.
The first World Day of Migrants and Refugees was instituted by Pope Pius X in 1914, and has since become an important occasion for Catholics worldwide to pray and care for those leaving their homelands.