Pope Francis chose the theme, “Free to Choose Whether to Migrate or to Stay”, for the 109th World Day of Migrant and Refugees, commemorated in Australia on Sunday, 24 September 2023.

Migrants and Refugee Sunday is a day to celebrate interculturalism. Each one of us brings our faith, our culture and our gifts to the eucharistic table – this day is a day to celebrate our diversity but mostly our unity.

“In this year’s message Pope Francis points out that for a healthy society there should always be “the freedom that should always mark the decision to leave one’s native land.”. Migration movements throughout the world continue unabated. The Pope insists that we should always be “ensuring that that freedom is a widely shared pastoral concern.”  (Archbishop Christopher Prowse Chairman, Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Ministry).