To Guest Workers (17 November 1980)

On 17 November 1980, in Mainz, the Holy Father addressed the immigrant workers who came from many countries to improve their lives and for that of their families.

Dear brothers and sisters!

It is with great pleasure that I am with you this morning, who have come to Germany from so many countries and continents to work, to study or to create a new livelihood for you and your families.

1. The place where we met, the city of Mainz am Rhein, already reminds us of the basic theme of this meeting through its own history: "People on the move". Mainz is one of the oldest cities founded along the Rhine during the expansion of the old Roman Empire. With the soldiers and merchants, Christianity also came to this country from Italy for the first time. A Christian community with a bishop is attested for Mainz as early as the year 200. Later, in the 8th century, when the Anglo-Saxon missionaries - this time from the north - began to vigorously spread the faith among the German tribes, one of them, the great Bonifatius, became bishop of Mainz. From here he and his students founded many other dioceses as far south as Chur and to Prague and Olmütz in the east. From Prague, in turn, St. Adalbert, bishop, carried the light of the Good News to Poland and to the Balts. Yes, it's true: this city with its six-towered Romanesque cathedral tells us about the origins and spiritual roots of many of our homelands; it tells us of the unifying and groundbreaking power of our Catholic faith. And that faith always found its way into the hearts of our ancestors through "people on the move," through missionaries, and through men and women who set out from their homes to seek new opportunities in other lands, often unknown to them at the same time to bear witness to the liberating message of our redemption in Jesus Christ through their life and word.

The providence of God has called me out of my homeland too. Through the election of the cardinals to the supreme pastoral office, I have been given particular responsibility for the unity of the Church. To this day, like you, I have been a wanderer in distant lands several times.

I therefore greet you all with great understanding and a special cordiality, you who are gathered here in this square and also you who are connected to us through radio and television or who will later hear about our meeting. The peace of the Lord be with you all!

2. It was not an easy decision for you, dear brothers and sisters, to leave your home countries to look for work and better living conditions for you and your relatives here in the Federal Republic of Germany. You dared to take this step because you had the well-founded hope that the people in your host country would understand you and welcome you with social justice and Christian charity.

May this expectation have been somewhat fulfilled for as many of you as possible! In the meantime, through the work of your hands, you have made great and important achievements for the benefit of all people in this country, for which you deserve recognition and respect. Many of you have been in Germany for five, ten or more years and have almost felt at home, especially your children and young people who were born here.

The life of a guest worker is also associated with major problems and difficulties. Your spokesman has already reminded you of this in his greeting. Some do not know how long they can live and work here and suffer from this insecurity. Many had to leave their families at home, at least for the time being. When they finally manage to bring their wives, children and parents here, it is often difficult to find decent housing for them. Difficulties arise in getting the children a suitable school qualification and in finding them a job. Above all, however, you suffer from not knowing how to relate heart and soul to the cultural nature of your homeland with its customs and traditions, stay true to their language and songs while adapting to the lifestyle of your new surroundings. You don't want to become uprooted people who have been cut off from their spiritual roots in the old homeland and have not yet taken root in the new one. This would especially endanger your Catholic faith and your religious life; it would be difficult or almost impossible for you to introduce your children to the fundamental truths of the faith and to the life of the Church while still in the bosom of the family. This would especially endanger your Catholic faith and your religious life; it would be difficult or almost impossible for you to introduce your children to the fundamental truths of the faith and to the life of the Church while still in the bosom of the family. This would especially endanger your Catholic faith and your religious life; it would be difficult or almost impossible for you to introduce your children to the fundamental truths of the faith and to the life of the Church while still in the bosom of the family.

Dear brothers and sisters. I am acutely aware of these important issues in your daily life, and I know that many leaders of church and state, together with your representatives, are continually striving to alleviate individual hardships, to design lasting solutions for all, and to promote their realization.

3. But what can you already do yourself? Start with your family! Respect and love your wife, your husband as the most important and precious person of all you know! Be loyal to them unequivocally and in everything! Let your parents and your children participate equally in this solid unity of reliable love and self-evident solidarity. Then you have a small but lively and stable core of community in your family, a piece of home for body and soul, a place of security and recognition that cannot be fully replaced by anything else. You yourselves have had this experience in many ways in your home countries: where the state administration is inadequate or fails, where social aid agencies are still underdeveloped, there is still the family, who helps to find a way out of the emergency situation or at least bears the burden of an emergency together. The same applies here, in your new world with its mysteries and uncertainties.

I address in particular the educational opportunities offered to you; help your elderly relatives with your newly acquired knowledge, especially in the field of language! Let your parents feel that you understand them and stand by them, even if you may find your way around in your new home better than they did! Respect their origin, their culture, their mother tongue and their native dialect! You have taken on many difficulties and dared with great courage to take a step that should make your life fuller and richer.

Despite all the joy in economic advantages, do not forget the spiritual values ​​of culture and faith, through which you alone achieve true progress for your personality and your humanity.

But I would like to encourage you all to approach each other: between the different ethnic groups and also with the individual German fellow citizens; to try to understand each other and to open up your life with all its joys and sorrows to each other. Strive yourselves to build bridges between people groups, stone by stone and with patience! Many small steps taken in the same direction can eventually bring you closer together and even make friends and bring your respective families into warm contact with one another.

4. At this point I would like to turn to the native inhabitants of this country. Not only have you enjoyed the economic benefits of millions of foreign workers over the past 20 years, you have also helped them take advantage of the diverse legal and social security systems in this country, have their families join them, and send their children to your schools. You have endeavored to become aware of the special difficulties of your guests; many of you have appealed to your own fellow citizens on many levels for understanding of these needs. The charitable institutions of the Christian churches in Germany also play a large part in these efforts. Everything that has been done in this area so far deserves our thanks and appreciation.

Developments so far show, however, that an even greater change in awareness among a large part of the local population would be desirable. For too long many have believed that foreign workers would come to the industrial areas only temporarily; their presence was assessed almost exclusively from an economic point of view, as a question of the labor market. But now it is clear to everyone who understands that a large proportion of these workers and their families have made their home here and would like to live with you permanently.

That means a far-reaching change for the living and population structure of the Federal Republic of Germany together with several other Western European countries. Politics, business and society must take this into account; everyone must adapt to this in spirit and deed - a process that is by no means easy and quick to complete. I know that the Catholic Church in Germany is ready to actively help with this. The corresponding resolution of the joint synod of the dioceses in the Federal Republic of Germany in 1973 is certainly a good basis for this. In all these endeavors it must always be about not only judging the people from other countries as employees with economic standards, but also to see the fellow human beings behind them with their dignity and their rights,

5. However, the starting point for all benevolent attempts at a solution has recently become dangerously worse: economic development in the industrialized countries is stagnating, new streams of refugees are pouring out over many countries and seas and are looking for countries of refuge, countless other people feel politically persecuted or discriminated against and seek asylum where they can breathe freely. Millions of people today, at this hour, are starving to death. This situation will increasingly require those responsible to make such efforts that the limits of what is reasonable and achievable will soon be in sight. It's not time yet, but we must mentally prepare for it. Isn't this a challenge to the politicians who, in a joint effort beyond all party and state interests, would have to be addressed? Above all, any burgeoning xenophobia should be given careful attention, so that - also with the help of the media and all those who shape public opinion - an appropriate realism is called upon against blind feelings of fear and instinctive defensive reactions, which is courageous enough to declare the time of unlimited growth at an end and to prepare the population for a necessary restriction of the living possibilities for the individual. In the long run, no prosperous country will be able to shut itself off from the onslaught of so many people with little or nothing to live on. so that - also with the help of the media and all those who shape public opinion - against blind feelings of fear and instinctive defensive reactions, an appropriate realism is summoned up, which is courageous enough to declare the time of unlimited growth over and to warn the population of a necessary limitation of the possibilities of life for to prepare the individual. In the long run, no prosperous country will be able to shut itself off from the onslaught of so many people with little or nothing to live on. so that - also with the help of the media and all those who shape public opinion - against blind feelings of fear and instinctive defensive reactions, an appropriate realism is summoned up, which is courageous enough to declare the time of unlimited growth over and to warn the population of a necessary limitation of the possibilities of life for to prepare the individual. In the long run, no prosperous country will be able to shut itself off from the onslaught of so many people with little or nothing to live on.

So it will probably be less and less possible in the future for the individual local citizen to ignore the foreign fellow human beings in his country and leave their concerns to the social welfare offices and Caritas. Everyone must examine their own attitude towards the foreigners in their vicinity and give their conscience an account of whether they have already discovered in them the human being with the same longing for peace and freedom, for tranquility and security, the fulfillment of which we take for granted claim.

6. The Catholic Church as a whole and also the individual local Churches in the respective countries are well aware of this task, which requires constant and full commitment. You know, dear brothers and sisters, how the Church has long offered the Christians among you a home for your faith and a safeguard for your human rights by appointing ministers from home for each nationality to help you develop your faith also to live and witness in a new environment. The church has set up social services that will advise you on legal issues and provide first aid in emergencies. To this great multitude of priests, nuns and lay helpers who stand by your side on behalf of Christ and his Church, I would like to address a heartfelt word of thanks and appreciation from here today. You took upon yourself the fate of strangers in order to be a support in the faith of your compatriots; like good shepherds, you followed the flock to give it protection. So you live in the line of succession. At the same time, I would like to continue to encourage you to continue to work in a spirit of trust with the German dioceses and to lovingly care for the local priests and religious. After all, that's where you should lead your flock: into the community of Catholic Christians, as it is represented in the parish where you live, which gives room for a diversity of people, united in the same faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. to be a support in the faith of your countrymen; like good shepherds, you followed the flock to give it protection. So you live in the line of succession. At the same time, I would like to continue to encourage you to continue to work in a spirit of trust with the German dioceses and to lovingly care for the local priests and religious. After all, that's where you should lead your flock: into the community of Catholic Christians, as it is represented in the parish where you live, which gives room for a diversity of people, united in the same faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. to be a support in the faith of your countrymen; like good shepherds, you followed the flock to give it protection. So you live in the line of succession. At the same time, I would like to continue to encourage you to continue to work in a spirit of trust with the German dioceses and to lovingly care for the local priests and religious. After all, that's where you should lead your flock: into the community of Catholic Christians, as it is represented in the parish where you live, which gives room for a diversity of people, united in the same faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. At the same time, I would like to continue to encourage you to continue to work in a spirit of trust with the German dioceses and to lovingly care for the local priests and religious. After all, that's where you should lead your flock: into the community of Catholic Christians, as it is represented in the parish where you live, which gives room for a diversity of people, united in the same faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. At the same time, I would like to continue to encourage you to continue to work in a spirit of trust with the German dioceses and to lovingly care for the local priests and religious. After all, that's where you should lead your flock: into the community of Catholic Christians, as it is represented in the parish where you live, which gives room for a diversity of people, united in the same faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

But not all guests in this country are Christians; a particularly large group profess the faith of Islam. My best wishes to you too! If you have carried your faith in God with a sincere heart from your homeland to a foreign country and pray here to God as your Creator and Lord, then you also belong to the large crowd of pilgrims who, since Abraham, have set out again and again to find the true seek and find God. If you are not afraid to pray in public, you are giving us Christians an example that deserves respect. Live your faith abroad, too, and don't let it be misused for any human or political interest!

7. Dear brothers and sisters!

I hope that most of you have already mastered the German language so well that you understood my words. They came from the heart and insight of the Church's supreme pastor, who knows what home can be, but who is also convinced of the unifying and sheltering power that our Catholic faith contains, so that you can find a new home among your local fellow believers . Yes, the encounter of Christians with such a wealth of different expressions of the same faith can even lead to an enrichment for all concerned, to a new astonishment at the fullness of God, which is reflected only imperfectly and yet so richly in the Church, which is indeed one lives among many peoples. May the testimony of our faith be so alive and powerful,

© Copyright 1980 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Copyright © Dicastero per la Comunicazione - Libreria Editrice Vaticana