Bishop Ruperto Santos represented the Catholic Church of the Philippines in the meeting from Tuesday to Thursday as chair of the Episcopal Commission of the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (ECMI–CBCP).
Fr. Resty Ogsimer, ECMI–CBCP executive secretary, joined the bishop in the plenary meeting held every four years.
“My election as member of ICMC governing committee is recognition of the contribution of the Philippine church to the universal church through the dedicated shepherding of our chaplains in these receiving countries of our honest and hardworking overseas Filipino workers,” the Bataan prelate said.
Mandated delegates of Bishops’ Conferences all over the world attended the meeting.
This year, more than 100 delegates from 51 countries gathered in Crowne Plaza Hotel, Rome, Italy from the 6th to the 8th of March.
Paramount to the Plenary Council Meeting was the election of the new President of ICMC and the election of the regional representatives to ICMC’s governing committee.
Representatives who were elected were two each from Africa, Asia, Europe, South and North America and one each from the Middle East, North Africa, Oceania and the Carribean.
Santos together with the mandated delegate of the Bishops’ Conference of India was elected to represent the Asian Region.
The 3-day meet was opened by His Eminence Pietro Cardinal Parolin, Secretary of State to His Holiness Pope Francis.
The most anticipated Papal Audience took place on the last day of the meeting which was concluded through a Panel Discussion on the theme: Facing New Challenges, Fortified in a Spirit of Prophetic Solidarity.
ICMC was founded in 1951, in the wake of the massive displacement caused by World War II. Initiated by the joint efforts of Pope Pius XII and American layman James Norris, ICMC was established in order to coordinate the work of Catholic organizations in addressing the issues and concerns of migrants, refugees , and displaced persons, Santos said.
