NEWS & VIEWS
from a CATHOLIC perspective

      VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- Bishop Rafael Romo Munoz of Tijuana has asked Pope John Paul II to address the plight of migrants during his trip to Mexico later this month.

      Bishop Romo Munoz, whose diocese is in the northwest of Mexico, bordering on California, told the Italian monthly magazine Jesus that the region is one of the busiest transit points in the world; some 30 million people pass through Tijuana every year, he said--most of them seeking entry into the United States. Consequently, pastoral work with migrants is the top priority for his diocese.

      "We ask the Pope to pay particular attention to migrants-- to give them some words and gestures of consolation and encouragement," the bishop said. He emphasized the difficulty of working with people who have no geographical roots, and whose future is uncertain. He also alluded to the exploitation of illegal migrants by smugglers and confidence artists.

      Artists have been busy in Tijuana Noticias Eclesias reports, building a monumental image of Christ with open arms and about 23 meters of height that will rise over Tijuana. The project that began two years ago with the support of numerous parishioners has been 60% completed engineers informed. The project has received a great deal of support on behalf of the residents, who consider it to be a blessing to be able to lift their eyes to the sky from any point of the city and see the image of the Lord. "When we raise Him in His vault we shall direct it so that he pours His blessings over the whole city," affirmed one of the priests in charge of the project. The monument contains a large square surrounded by 27 angels of two meters of height and in whose center is located an oratory that will serve as a base for the Christ of Tijuana. The colossal image- made of fiber glass and resin is already in its final stage.