CHAPTER II

THE DELEGATE FOR MIGRATION AFFAIRS

9. We establish in the Consistorial Congregation the Office of Delegate for Migration Affairs.

10. a) The function of this Delegate is to foster and promote by every apt means the welfare, especially spiritual, of Catholic migrants of whatever language, race, nationality or, with necessary exceptions, rite. In doing this, the Delegate is to confer, when necessary, with our Secretary of State or with government officials or agencies.

    b) To this end, the Delegate is, in the name and by authority of the Consistorial Congregation, to assist and support by his activities and counsel all Catholic organizations, institutions and agencies, whether national or inter-national, including—without prejudice to the rights of bishops—diocesan and parochial groups that aim at the same goal.

11. a) The Delegate has charge of missionaries to migrants and chaplains on ships, whether secular or regular, and their directors.

    b) He shall, by order of the Consistorial Congrega­tion, direct and supervise these men, and not neglect to report on them.

12. It will also be the duty of the Delegate to recruit and present to the Consistorial Congregation priests who wish to devote themselves to the spiritual care of those who are migrating or have migrated and of those who ply the seas or are for whatever reason on board ships or service them.

13. a) Priests approved for the work and appointed missionaries to migrants or ship chaplains by rescript of the Consistorial Congregation will be assigned to a mission or to a special ship by the Delegate.

    b) The Delegate shall be careful to provide these men with aid they need, whether he does so personally and immediately, or indirectly through other ecclesiastics, preferably through their Directors.

14. The Delegate shall notify the local Ordinaries and the Directors of the imminent arrival of immigrants.

15. The Delegate shall strive to promote and guide everything that might contribute to the success of an annual Migrant Day.

16. At the end of each year, the Delegate shall prepare and send to the Consistorial Congregation a report on the material and spiritual state of the missions and on the observance of ecclesiastical discipline by the missionaries to migrants and by ship chaplains.

17. a) We, therefore, abolish and hereby declare suppressed the Office of Prelate for Italian Emigrants.

    b) We likewise declare completely at an end the functions of the Visitors or Delegates of whatever language or nationality, previously established for the religious welfare of immigrants and refugees living in Europe and America.