Turning a Curse into a Blessing? Theological Contributions to a Resource-Orientated Narrative on Migration in Europe

This chapter argues that, grounded in a biblical theology of migration, the theology of the Catholic Church offers both theoretical and practical perspectives on migration that might enable Europeans to gain a sense of hope in the current situation. In theological terminology, these perspectives can show how the “curse” of flight and migration can be transformed into a “blessing,” which is to say, into a reality that can create new—perhaps even better—life. Regina Polak shows how a theological approach to migration might contribute to secular societies in four steps. First, she assesses the wider context of migration from the perspective of the social sciences in order to identify the central theological questions. Second, she presents a biblical-theological approach to migration. Third, some aspects of the teaching of the Catholic Church are presented. Fourth and finally, she asks what consequences can be drawn for Europe today.