Catholic Social Teaching - Class 2

Tonight the instructor discussed immigration reform. In 2003 the United States Conference of Bishops and the Conferencia del Episcopado Mexicano released a pastoral letter concerning migration. They were speaking as two episcopal conferences but as one Church, united in the view that migration between the two nations is necessary and beneficial. At the same time, aspects of the migrant experience were far from the vision of the Kingdom of God that Jesus proclaimed: many persons seeking to migrate were suffering, and, in some cases, tragically dying; human rights were being abused; families were being kept apart; and racist and xenophobic attitudes were prominent.

 

The joint statement said, “As pastors to more than ninety million Mexican Catholics and sixty-five million U.S. Catholics, we witness the human consequences of migration in the life of society every day. We witness the vulnerability of our people involved in all sides of the migration phenomenon, including families devastated by the loss of loved ones who have undertaken the migration journey and children left alone when parents are removed from them. We observe the struggles of landowners and enforcement personnel who seek to preserve the common good without violating the dignity of the migrant. And we share in the concern of religious and social service providers who, without violating civil law, attempt to respond to the migrant knocking at the door.”

 

Both the United States and Mexico have had a history marked by encounters between peoples who, coming from different lands, have transformed and enriched it. It was the encounter between Spaniards and indigenous people that gave rise to the Mexican nation in a birth that was full of the pain and joy that the struggle for life entails. Likewsie, the United States has received immigrants from around the world who have found opportunity and safe haven in a new land. The labor, values, and beliefs of immigrants from throughout the world have transformed the United States from a loose group of colonies into one of the leading democracies in the world today. Both the United States and Mexico remain nations of immigrants grounded in the firm belief that newcomers offer new energy, hope, and cultural diversity.

 

The statement went on to say, “Our common faith in Jesus Christ moves us to search for ways that favor a spirit of solidarity. It is a faith that transcends borders and bids us to overcome all forms of discrimination and violence so that we may build relationships that are just and loving. The word of God and the Catholic social teaching it inspires illuminate an understanding, one that is ultimately full of hope, that recognizes the lights and shadows that are a part of the ethical, social, political, economic, and cultural dimensions of migrations between the two countries. The word of God and Catholic social teaching also bring to light the causes that give rise to migrations, as well as the consequences that they have on the communities of origin and destination. These lights and shadows are seen in faith as part of the dynamics of creation and grace on the one hand, and of sin and death on the other, that form the backdrop of all salvation history.”

 

Migration of people is not a new phenomenon of course. Key events in the history of the Chosen People, of enslavement by the Egyptians and of liberation by God, led to commandments regarding strangers. Israel's conduct with the stranger is both an imitation of God and the Old Testament manifestation of the great commandment to love one's neighbor: "For the Lord, your God, is the . . . Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who has no favorites, accepts no bribes, who executes justice for the orphan and widow, and befriends the alien, feeding and clothing him. So you, too, must befriend the alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt" (Deuteronomy 10:17-19). For the Israelites, these injunctions were not only personal exhortations: the welcome and care of the alien were structured into their gleaning and tithing laws (Leviticus 19:9-10; Deuteronomy 14:28-29).

 

Even in the harsh stories of migration, God is present, revealing himself. Abraham stepped out in faith to respond to God's call (Galatians 12:1). He and Sarah extended their hospitality to three strangers who were actually a manifestation of the Lord, and this became a paradigm for the response to strangers of Abraham's descendants. The grace of God even broke through situations of sin in the forced migration of the children of Jacob: Joseph, sold into slavery, eventually became the savior of his family (Galatians 37:45): a type of Jesus, who, betrayed by a friend for thirty pieces of silver, saves the human family.

 

Recalling the migration of the Chosen People from Egypt, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph themselves were refugees in Egypt: "Out of Egypt I called my son" (Mathew 2:15). From this account the Holy Family has become a figure with whom migrants and refugees throughout the ages can identify, giving them hope and courage in hard times. Saint Matthew describes the mysterious presence of Jesus in the migrants who frequently lack food and drink and are detained in prison (Mathew 25:35-36). The "Son of Man" who "comes in his glory" will judge his followers by the way they respond to those in such need: "Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me" (Mathew 25:40).

 

Today migrants and immigrants are in our parishes and in our communities. In both countries, there is too much injustice and violence against them and too much suffering and despair among them because civil and church structures are still inadequate to accommodate their basic needs. We must judge ourselves as a community of faith by the way we treat the most vulnerable among us. The treatment of migrants challenges the consciences of elected officials, policymakers, enforcement officers, residents of border communities, and providers of legal aid and social services, many of whom share our Catholic faith. Slowly, signs of hope are developing in the migration phenomenon. There is a growing consciousness of migrants as bearers of faith and culture, and an outpouring of hospitality and social services, including migrant shelters, a growing network of advocates for migrants' and immigrants' rights, a more organized effort at welcome and intercultural communion, a greater development of a social conscience, and greater recognition by governments of the importance of the issue of migration.

 

The joint conference spoke to the peoples of the United States and Mexico, saying that “our two nations are more interdependent than ever before in our history, sharing cultural and social values, common interests, and hopes for the future. Our nations have a singular opportunity to act as true neighbors and to work together to build a more just and generous immigration system.” The Holy Spirit has been present throughout the history of the Church to work against injustice, division, and oppression and to bring about respect for individual human rights, unity of races and cultures, and the incorporation of the marginalized into full life in the Church. One of the ways this work of the Spirit has been manifested is through Catholic social teaching, in particular the teachings on human dignity and the principle of solidarity.

 

In modern times, this teaching has developed extensively in response to the worldwide phenomenon of migration. Pope Pius XII re-affirmed the Church's commitment to caring for pilgrims, aliens, exiles, and migrants of every kind (Exsul Familia), affirming that all peoples have the right to conditions worthy of human life and, if these conditions are not present, the right to migrate. Blessed Pope John XXIII expanded the right to migrate as well as the right to not have to migrate (Pacem in Terris): "Every human being has the right to freedom of movement and of residence within the confines of his own country; and, when there are just reasons for it, the right to emigrate to other countries and take up residence there." He placed limits on immigration, however, when there are "just reasons for it." Nevertheless, he stressed the obligation of sovereign states to promote the universal good where possible, including an obligation to accommodate migration flows. For more powerful nations, a stronger obligation exists.

 

Based on the life and teachings of Jesus, the Church's teaching has provided the basis for the development of basic principles regarding the right to migrate for those attempting to exercise their God-given human rights. Catholic teaching also states that the root causes of migration, such as poverty, injustice, religious intolerance, and armed conflicts, must be addressed so that migrants can remain in their homeland and support their families. Five principles emerge from the rich tradition of church teachings with regard to migration, which guide the Church's view on migration issues.

 

I. Persons have the right to find opportunities in their homeland.
All persons have the right to find in their own countries the economic, political, and social opportunities to live in dignity and achieve a full life through the use of their God-given gifts. In this context, work that provides a just, living wage is a basic human need.

 

II. Persons have the right to migrate to support themselves and their families.
The Church recognizes that all the goods of the earth belong to all people. When persons cannot find employment in their country of origin to support themselves and their families, they have a right to find work elsewhere in order to survive. Sovereign nations should provide ways to accommodate this right.

 

III. Sovereign nations have the right to control their borders.
The Church recognizes the right of sovereign nations to control their territories but rejects such control when it is exerted merely for the purpose of acquiring additional wealth. More powerful economic nations, which have the ability to protect and feed their residents, have a stronger obligation to accommodate migration flows.

 

IV. Refugees and asylum seekers should be afforded protection.
Those who flee wars and persecution should be protected by the global community. This requires, at a minimum, that migrants have a right to claim refugee status without incarceration and to have their claims fully considered by a competent authority.

 

V. The human dignity and human rights of undocumented migrants should be respected.
Regardless of their legal status, migrants, like all persons, possess inherent human dignity that should be respected. Often they are subject to punitive laws and harsh treatment from enforcement officers from both receiving and transit countries. Government policies that respect the basic human rights of the undocumented are necessary.

 

Our concern as Christians for the dignity and rights of migrants extends to pastoral responses as well as public policy issues. The Church is constantly challenged to see the face of Christ, crucified and risen, in the stranger. The whole Church is challenged to live the experience of the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-25), as they are converted to be witnesses of the Risen Lord after they welcome him as a stranger. Faith in the presence of Christ in the migrant leads to a conversion of mind and heart, which leads to a renewed spirit of communion and to the building of structures of solidarity to accompany the migrant.

 

Part of the process of conversion of mind and heart deals with confronting attitudes of cultural superiority, indifference, and racism; accepting migrants not as foreboding aliens, terrorists, or economic threats, but rather as persons with dignity and rights, revealing the presence of Christ; and recognizing migrants as bearers of deep cultural values and rich faith traditions. Church leaders at every level are called to communicate this teaching as well as to provide instruction on the phenomenon of migration, its causes, and its impact throughout the world.