Seminar: Church and Migration – Exploring Priests’ Perspectives on Migration and Asylum
Belgium, February 2025
Date: Tuesday 18 February 2025, 2.30-5 PM
Location: UC Louvain
Format: Half-day seminar including presentations and panel discussion
Participants: Clergy members, academics, migration experts, and policymakers
This event is organized within the framework of the ACRONYM project (Advancing CoopeRatiON on asYlum and
Migration), funded by the Horizon Europe program (2023–2025).
Rationale
Faith and religion play a significant role in shaping societal attitudes toward migration, particularly in
Central and Eastern Europe, where Christian churches, especially the Roman Catholic Church, hold
substantial influence. Priests, as community leaders, are uniquely positioned to mediate narratives
surrounding migration, making their perspectives critical to understanding the interplay between faith
and migration policy.
In the context of Slovakia and the broader CEE region, targeted disinformation campaigns have sought
to depict migration as a threat to traditional Christian and conservative values. These narratives can
exacerbate public fears and influence the perceptions of clergy and faith communities. Understanding
how such external factors shape attitudes toward migration is crucial to fostering informed and
empathetic dialogue.
Building on findings from the ACRONYM project’s recent survey on priests’ perceptions of migration in
Slovakia, this seminar will present the results and provide a platform for a broader discussion on the
role of the church in addressing migration challenges. This will include examining the discrepancy
between official Vatican positions and local clergy attitudes, as well as exploring potential avenues for
constructive dialogue and collaboration.
Objectives
The seminar seeks to:
1. Present key findings from the Slovak survey on priests’ perceptions of migration.
2. Compare these perceptions to those in other European contexts.
3. Discuss the role of the church in shaping narratives and policies on migration and asylum.
4. Strengthen collaboration between academic institutions and faith communities to promote
mutual understanding and policy innovation.
Key Questions for Discussion
• What factors shape the perceptions of migration among priests in Slovakia?
• How do these perceptions align or differ from Vatican positions on migration and asylum?
• How do priests’ attitudes toward migration in Slovakia compare to those in other parts of
Europe?
• What role can the church play in advancing cooperation on asylum and migration across
Europe?
• What role does the church play in fostering trust, empathy, and integration for migrants and
asylum seekers?
• How can interfaith and inter-institutional collaboration address migration challenges
effectively?
Keynote Speakers :
• Dr Katarina Csefalvayova (Institute for Central Europe, Bratislava)
• Prof Marek Šmid (Dean, Faculty of Theology, Trnava) – tbc
• Marcella Villalobos (Bishops Conference, France) – tbc
• Dr François Gemenne (FNRS ULiège)
Place : Leclerc 93 Room, College J. Leclercq, 1 Place Montesquieu, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve.
Information : olivier.servais@uclouvain.be
