Peoples’ Day will be celebrated in all the Catholic parishes of Switzerland on 12 November. To mark the occasion the bishops have issued an appeal against fear of immigrants and repeated their disappointment about the result of the referendum of 24 September that approved the laws on asylum and on foreigners. News of the appeal is carried by the Swiss Catholic press agency APIC, which also reports the statements of the Right Rev. Norbert Brunner, bishop of Syon and episcopal delegate for migrations. Bishop Brunner has written a pastoral letter that will be read out in churches on 12 November. “Migrations may take various forms – he says – just like transfers for sporting events or holidays. The migrations of those who come here to seek work, or a cure, to escape death and persecution are on a far larger and socially relevant scale. Towards these people we assume an attitude of fear. Fear is a poor counsellor and clouds our judgement”. “Let us therefore – exhorts Mons. Brunner – be seized by the love of Christ so that migrants too may open themselves to our culture, our language and be enriched in spirit”. In preparation for Peoples’ Day on 12 November the organization “Missio” has produced a series of aids for animation (www.kath.ch/migratio).
