Migrants, Missionaries of Hope

The World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR), which usually falls on the last Sunday of September, will be celebrated this year on 4 and 5 October on the occasion of the Jubilee of Migrants. The theme of the Pope's message this year is "Migrants, Missionaries of Hope".

In his Message, Pope Leo reflects on the current context “sadly marked by wars, violence, injustice and extreme weather events, which force millions of people to leave their homelands in search of refuge elsewhere”.  

The search for happiness is one of the causes of human mobility, and the link between migration and hope, which is well reflected in the Jubilee 2025 motto “Pilgrims of Hope”, is often at the heart of many migration experiences. As the Pope explains in his Message, it is often migrants, refugees and displaced persons who are “privileged witnesses of hope.  Indeed, they demonstrate this daily through their resilience and trust in God, as they face adversity while seeking a future in which they glimpse that integral human development and happiness are possible”.