Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People

The Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants (Pontificium Consilium de Spirituali Migrantium atque Itinerantium Cura) was a dicastery of the Roman Curia. The Council, established by Pope John Paul II on 28 June 1988, was dedicated to the spiritual welfare of migrant and itinerant people.

The last President of the Council was Cardinal Antonio Maria Vegliò, who was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI on 28 February 2009. The last Secretary was Bishop Joseph Kalathiparambil, who was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI on February 22, 2011, and who had until then been serving as the Bishop of the Calicut, India.

Effective 1 January 2017, the work of the Council was assumed by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

According to Article 149 of the Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia, Pastor Bonus, promulgated by Pope John Paul II on 28 June 1988: "The Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People brings the pastoral concern of the Church to bear on the special needs of those who have been forced to leave their native land or who do not have one. It also sees to it that these matters are considered with the attention they deserve." Articles 150 and 151 also number refugees, exiles, nomads, circus workers, sailors, airport or airplane workers, and Christians taking pilgrimages as being under the Council's care.

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