Guidelines for the German Catholic Church’s commitment to refugees

At the suggestion of Archbishop Dr Stephan Heße (Hamburg), special representative for refugee issues of the German Bishops’ Conference, the German bishops have adopted the “Guidelines for the German Catholic Church’s commitment to refugees” at their spring plenary assembly on 18 February 2016 at Kloster Schöntal. The text of these “Guidelines” is based on recommendations developed during the first “Catholic Refugee Summit” in Würzburg in November 2015, when about 130 practitioners involved in the Church’s aid given to refugees had come together for an open exchange on the Church’s commitment to refugees. The document is intended for the church institutions providing aid to refugees as well as for those who work as volunteers. The text is divided into three parts: After a description of the current situation, the theological and ethical foundation of the Church’s commitment to refugees is expressed. In a third part, central tasks for the dioceses, orders, Caritas and Catholic organizations – arranged according to twelve fields of work – are outlined.