Dear Friends,
There has been quite a bit of uproar this past week concerning President Trump’s decision to temporarily ban people from coming to the United States from seven countries (most of which have been violently torn apart by war). The Catholic Church has stood at the center of the opposition to the President’s order. Perhaps that has been confusing to you. Why would the church which supports his pro-life stance be so strong in opposition? A complete explanation would require more than can be done in a short letter, but let me try the words of a few bishops to attempt an explanation:
Archbishop Chaput of Philadelphia wrote this, “At the heart of Catholic social teaching lie two principles: concern for the common good and respect for the individual human being. An example: Catholic prison ministry doesn’t dispute the need for punishment under the law to secure the safety of the public. But it also refuses to abandon the prisoner, affirms his continuing dignity and seeks his rehabilitation…
To put it another way, individuals have obligations to the common good, and governments have a particular duty to provide for public security; otherwise they lose their legitimacy. But we can’t serve the common good by exploiting or callously mistreating individuals, especially the weak. Being “prolife” involves a great deal more than a defense of unborn life, though it should naturally start there. We also have grave responsibilities to the poor, the infirm, the elderly and the immigrant – responsibilities that will shape our encounter with the God of justice when we meet him face to face.”
Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles said this: “Halting admissions of refugees for 90 or 120 days may not seem like a long time. But for a family fleeing a war-torn nation, or the violence of drug cartels, or warlords who force even children into armies — this could mean the difference between life and death. And it is a simple fact that not all refugees are terrorists, and refugees are not even the main source of terrorist threats to our country…Are we now going to decide that some people are not worthy of our love because they have different skin color, a different religion or were born in the “wrong” country?
As a pastor, what troubles me is that all the anger, confusion and fear that resulted from last week’s orders was entirely predictable. Yet that does not seem to have mattered to the people in charge. I worry that in the name of showing toughness and determination, we are communicating to the world a harsh indifference. Right now, no nation accepts more refugees than the United States. So what kind of message are we sending to the world?
Those moments in our history that we are the least proud of — from the Holocaust to the ethnic cleansings of the 1990s — are moments when we closed our borders and our hearts to the sufferings of innocent people. We all agree that our nation has the obligation to secure its borders and establish criteria for who is permitted to enter and how long they are permitted to stay. In a post-9/11 world, we all agree there are people both inside and outside our borders who want to hurt us. We share a common concern for our nation’s security and the safety of our loved ones. But our approach to all these issues must be consistent with our ideals. America has always been different — some would say exceptional. Welcoming immigrants and sheltering refugees has always been something special and essential about who we are — as a nation and as a people.”
Cardinal DiNardo, the President of the U.S. Bishop’s Conference, said: “we call upon all the Catholic faithful to join us as we unite our voices with all who speak in defense of human dignity. Welcoming the stranger and those in flight is not one option among many in the Christian life. It is the very form of Christianity itself, our actions must remind people of Jesus. The actions of our government must remind people of basic humanity, where our brothers and sisters suffer rejection and abandonment we will lift our voice on their behalf. We will welcome them and receive them. They are Jesus and the Church will not turn away from Him.”
Please, let your elected officials know that you do not agree with the general ban on immigrants. Clearly, our country has a right and a duty to vet the people who want to come to our country, but to say no to people just because they are from a certain country or belong to a certain religion is wrong.
Peace,
Fr. Damian