“Missionaries of hope”: Pope chooses theme for World Refugee Day 2025

By Joseph Tulloch

Pope Francis has chosen “Migrants, missionaries of hope” as the theme for the 2025 World Day of Migrants and Refugees.

The Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development announced the decision on Monday, adding that the day will be celebrated on October 4-5, during the Jubilee of Migrants and the Missionary World.

Migrants 'bear daily witness to hope'

The announcement said the occasion would be a chance to reflect on “the courage and tenacity of migrants and refugees, who bear daily witness to hope in the future.”

“Migrants and refugees become ‘missionaries of hope’ in the communities where they are welcomed,” the statement from the Dicastery added, “often contributing to revitalising their faith and promoting interreligious dialogue based on common values. They remind the Church of the ultimate goal of this earthly pilgrimage—the attainment of our future homeland.”

Established in 1914, the World Day of Migrants and Refugees offers Catholics an opportunity to remember and pray for those displaced by conflict, persecution, and economic difficulties.