Bishops of Asia and Australia and Scalabrinian Missionaries Strengthen Collaboration in Taiwan to Discuss and Promote Pastoral Care of Migrants, Refugees, Seafarers, Fishers and their Families

Bishops from Asia and Australia, together with the presidents of national episcopal commissions responsible for the pastoral care of migrants and people on the move of Australia and countries of Asia—including Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, East Timor, Indonesia, Japan, and India—gathered in Taipei, Taiwan, on November 10–11, 2026, for a meeting dedicated to strengthening collaboration, communion, and shared missionary responsibility in responding to the challenges of contemporary human mobility.

The meeting was promoted by the Saint Frances Cabrini Province of the Congregation of the Missionaries of St. Charles (Scalabrinians), under the patronage of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. It represents an important opportunity for dialogue and mutual exchange among Church leaders of Australia and Asia, highlighting the contribution of the Scalabrinian Congregation to the local Churches in accompanying migrants, refugees, seafarers, fishers, and their families, as well as promoting their dignity, rights, and full participation in society and the Church.

The initiative was sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the R.O.C. (Taiwan) through the Embassy of the R.O.C. (Taiwan) to the Holy See. The gathering also provided an opportunity to deepen collaboration between the Episcopal Conferences of Asia and Australia, government officials of Taiwan, and the Scalabrinian Missionaries, whose charism and missionary commitment are specifically dedicated to accompanying people on the move.

The opening session included the participation of Msgr. Martin Su Yao-Wen, Bishop of Taichung and Chairman of the Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People for the Taiwan Bishops’ Conference; Fr. Martin Ignacio Gutiérrez, Provincial Superior of the Scalabrinian Missionaries for the Province of St. Frances Cabrini of Australia and Asia; and Fr. Leonir Mario Chiarello, Superior General of the Congregation of the Missionaries of St. Charles, Scalabrinians.

A Prophetic Vision: Migration as a Structural Reality

In an address highlighting the dynamic reality of human mobility across Asia and Australia, Very Rev. Fr. Leonir Chiarello, CS, Superior General of the Scalabrinian Missionaries, called for deepened collaboration between the Congregation, local bishops, and regional dioceses to serve migrants and refugees.

Drawing from the universal vision of the Congregation, Fr. Leonir reflected on the enduring legacy of the Founder, St. John Baptist Scalabrini. As a 19th-century bishop, Scalabrini possessed a prophetic intuition that allowed him to see far beyond the immediate reality of his time. "Scalabrini understood that migration is not a temporary phenomenon, but a structural part of human society," noted Fr. Leonir.

Concluding his address, Fr. Leonir renewed the Scalabrinian Missionaries' commitment to serving local bishops and dioceses across Asia and Australia. "Scalabrini teaches us to look beyond institutions, beyond national boundaries, and beyond the fears and prejudices surrounding migration," said Fr. Leonir.

Synodality and Co-Evangelization

Keynote speakers included Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, Bishop of Kalookan, Philippines, and Vice President of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), and Dr. Pascale Debbane, Regional Coordinator of Asia, Middle-East and Oceania for the Listening and Dialogue Section of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

Speaking on the profound intersection of human mobility and ecclesial identity, Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David delivered a compelling address asserting that migration and synodality are mutually enriching realities that can transform the modern Catholic Church. Reflecting on the core pillars of the Synodal process—Communion, Participation, and Mission—Cardinal David stressed that the Church is called not merely to accompany migrants, but to learn from them. By observing the lived experiences of migrants, he noted, the global Church can rediscover what it truly means to be a pilgrim community walking together in faith.

Speaking from her personal experience as a migrant, Dr. Pascale Debbane, AMEO Regional Coordinator for the Holy See’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, delivered an inspiring address on the evolving realities of global migration. Centered on four main pillars—Human Mobility, Biblical Foundations, the Perspective of the Holy See, and Concrete Pastoral Care—Dr. Debbane emphasized that behind every migrant is a human story reflecting the face of Christ. Drawing from Catholic social teaching and personal encounters across the Middle East and Asia, she urged local churches to move from ministering for migrants to ministering with them as active co-evangelizers. She concluded by echoing Pope Francis’s call to serve the peripheries, urging global Christian communities to recognize human dignity and protect the rights of all people on the move.

Pastoral Commitment and Institutional Dialogue

Significant time was dedicated to the consideration of the commitment of the National Commissions or Offices of Pastoral Care of People on the Move in Australia and Asia and the Scalabrinian Congregation. The Deputy Secretary-General of the Department of European Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the R.O.C. (Taiwan), Ms. Virginia Y. C. Chen, and the Assistant Director-General, Ms. Amy Wang, in addition to the Senior Specialist of the Planning Division of the Taiwan Fisheries Agency, took part in the deliberations of the meeting.

Reflecting on the legacy of Saint John Baptist Scalabrini, founder of the Scalabrinian Congregation and recognized as the Father of Migrants, the meeting emphasized that migration is not simply a social or humanitarian phenomenon, but also an important missionary and pastoral reality that challenges the Church to renew its presence, service, and witness. The Scalabrinian vision recognizes migrants not merely as recipients of pastoral assistance, but as protagonists of evangelization and active participants in building more welcoming, inclusive, and fraternal communities.

Particular attention was given to the importance of communion and participation of the Scalabrinian Missionaries and the Episcopal Commissions in the mission of the Church with migrants, refugees, seafarers, fishers, and their families. The meeting took place within the broader context of the Church’s commitment to welcoming, protecting, promoting, and integrating migrants and refugees, while recognizing specific pastoral challenges arising from labor migration, the vulnerability of migrant workers, the situation of seafarers and fishers, and the needs of families separated by migration.

For the Scalabrinian Congregation, this gathering is an expression of its commitment to walk together with the local Churches, placing its missionary charism, international experience, pastoral structures, and networks at the service of the Church’s mission. As the Church continues to respond to the challenges and opportunities of human mobility, the meeting in Taiwan offers an important opportunity to renew a common commitment: to make the Church increasingly a home for migrants, a place of encounter among peoples and cultures, and a sign of hope and fraternity for all those who are on the move.

“Walking together with migrants, refugees and people on the move, the Church renews her missionary identity and makes visible the Gospel of fraternity, hospitality and hope,” stated Fr. Ignacio Gutiérrez.

By bringing faith-based leadership together with public institutions, the summit reinforces a shared commitment to human dignity, safety, and rights for all migrants navigating an increasingly complex regional landscape.