By Jose Kavi
Mumbai, April 2, 2026: Indians have rejoiced at the appointment of a woman labor rights champion from the country as a member of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.
The appointment of Christine Nathan “is a proud moment for India,” Astrid Lobo Gajiwala, a woman theologian and longtime associate of Nathan, told Matters India on March 30.
Nathan, who is currently the president of the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC), said she was informed about the appointment earlier that day.
“I express my sincere gratitude to the Holy Father for the trust he has expressed in his decision to appoint me to this esteemed position, and stand ready to repay his confidence by contributing to the crucially important mission of the Dicastery within the coming five years,” Nathan said in a statement issued the same day.
The 70-year-old laywoman from Mumbai said the post is a great opportunity for her to serve the Church’s efforts to uphold the dignity of migrants and refugees.
The appointment is also a great honor for the Catholic migration commission that she has served as its international president for the past four years. “I remain immensely grateful for the inspiration and insight I have gained from the ongoing work of ICMC to serve and protect people on the move and address social justice issues all over the world, despite the many challenges of our current global context,” she added.
Founded in 1951 and headquartered in Geneva, the commission protects and serves migrants, refugees, and internally displaced persons, regardless of faith or race. It coordinates a global network of Catholic organizations, advocates for resettlement, and provides humanitarian assistance.
Sister Rani Punnasseril, secretary of the Commission for Migrants of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India, hailed Nathan as “a capable woman, who has worked for the rights of the workers.”
The member of the Sisters of the Holy Cross Menzingen said she has found Nathan a “simple woman of approach with great knowledge and understanding of national and international workers.”
Nathan has engaged in grassroots activism at the village and urban levels for four decades. She has championed the labor rights of migrant, unorganized women workers in the forestry and construction sectors.
She was part of policy-making at the national, regional, and international levels. From 2006 to 2014, she served as a regional specialist for workers’ education at the International Labor Organization (ILO). During that time, she was responsible for directing ILO activities across 21 countries in the Asia-Pacific region and worked extensively on international migration governance and cooperation issues.
Nathan recently completed her term as a member of the Migrant and Labour Commission of the Archdiocese of Bombay.
“As I look ahead to the coming five years, I draw great strength and determination from the words of the Holy Father on our collective mission to accompany and uphold the dignity of migrants and refugees,” Nathan stated.