ACRONYM at the International Conference “Migration, a Pilgrimage of Hope” in Rome – Key Outcomes
Rome, October 2025
From 21–23 October 2025, the ACRONYM team participated in the international conference “Migration, a Pilgrimage of Hope” held at the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome. Organized by the Scalabrini International Migration Institute, the University of Notre Dame, and the Pontifical Urbaniana University, the event brought together theologians, scholars, religious leaders, practitioners, and migrant communities to reflect on the theological, social, and pastoral dimensions of migration. Across three days of plenary sessions and panels, the discussions confirmed a broad convergence around the idea that migration must be understood as a structural and enduring feature of contemporary global life, calling for sustained theological reflection and institutional response rather than reactive or emergency-driven approaches.
A first outcome of the conference was the reaffirmation of migration as a “sign of the times” in theological terms. Participants repeatedly emphasized that human mobility challenges the Church to rethink core dimensions of Christian anthropology, ecclesiology, and mission. Migration was framed as a locus where the Gospel call to hospitality, the dignity of the human person, and the experience of displacement intersect. This perspective reinforces the need for theology to move beyond abstract principles and engage concretely with the lived realities of exile, vulnerability, and hope. The conference strengthened the argument that theological reflection on migration is not a peripheral specialization, but a central field for contemporary Christian thought.
A second key insight concerned the persistent gap between theological principles and institutional practice. While the Church’s social teaching clearly articulates commitments to welcoming, protecting, promoting, and integrating migrants, participants highlighted how these commitments are unevenly translated into pastoral action across contexts. Structural constraints (legal frameworks, limited resources, political pressures, institutional fragmentation) were identified as major obstacles. This tension mirrors findings from empirical research presented elsewhere in the ACRONYM project: ethical consensus exists at the level of doctrine, but implementation remains fragile and context-dependent.
Education also emerged as one of the most consistent and policy-relevant themes across sessions. Speakers from theological, academic, and pastoral backgrounds stressed that insufficient training among clergy, pastoral workers, policymakers, and the wider public weakens the Church’s capacity to respond coherently to migration. This deficit was linked to vulnerability to politicized narratives and disinformation.
Interdisciplinarity constituted another central outcome of the conference. The structure of the event itself demonstrated the necessity of crossing disciplinary boundaries. Participants agreed that migration cannot be addressed through theology or social science alone; rather, durable responses require integrated approaches that combine ethical reflection, empirical research, legal knowledge, and pastoral experience.
The conference also highlighted the importance of institutional and transnational networking. Speakers emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation between Church institutions, universities, NGOs, and migrant-led organizations. Migration was repeatedly described as a field where isolated initiatives, however committed, remain insufficient. Instead, participants called for shared frameworks, exchange of best practices, and coordinated advocacy grounded in social teaching and lived realities.
Finally, the conference showed the role of narrative in shaping public and ecclesial responses to migration. Several interventions pointed to the dominance of crisis-oriented, fear-driven narratives in public discourse, contrasting them with theological narratives of hope, pilgrimage, and encounter. The challenge identified was not only to correct misinformation but to cultivate alternative moral imaginaries capable of sustaining long-term solidarity. In this sense, the conference framed migration as a question of moral imagination, collective responsibility, and social cohesion.
ACRONYM RESEARCH FEATURED
As part of the academic program, Katarína Cséfalvayová (Institute for Central Europe) presented findings from our study “Shepherds at the Crossroads: Priestly Attitudes on Migration Between Vatican Teaching and Societal Narratives in Slovakia.” Based on a nationwide survey of 300 Slovak priests from Catholic, Lutheran, and Reformed traditions, the research offers rare empirical insight into how religious leaders in Central Europe navigate the tension between Church teaching and national political discourse on migration. The study highlights the need for deeper dialogue between theology and the social sciences in understanding how moral reasoning is shaped in contexts influenced by polarization and misinformation.
During the panel „Contextual Perspective on the Pastoral Care,“ in which Névyne Zeineldin (University of Liège) presented the first results of ACRONYM research in France and Belgium, the discussions emphasized that Catholic approaches to migration are grounded in a theology of encounter, dignity, and hope, yet remain constrained by legal, administrative, and political realities. Presentations highlighted that pastoral care for migrants increasingly takes place at the margins of institutional visibility, relying on local initiatives rather than coherent national or transnational strategies.
Across the conference, a strong convergence emerged around the idea that Europe faces a governance challenge, and mainly a crisis of moral and narrative coherence. Migration debates are shaped by fear-based framings, disinformation, and symbolic politics. Church actors often feel insufficiently equipped to counter these narratives effectively. Participants stressed that without deeper understanding of migration dynamics, legal frameworks, and disinformation mechanisms, both clergy and policymakers remain reactive rather than strategic.
The conference also showed that theological reflection, empirical research, and pastoral practice must be brought into closer dialogue if the Church is to act coherently in the current context.
