October 15, 2017 - "Share the Journey" Migration Campaign

Pope Francis launched the “Share the Journey” Migration Campaign on September 27, 2017.  Last week the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in collaboration with Catholic Relief Services and Catholic Charities USA began a two-year campaign to support migrants around the world.  Through this campaign, our Church hopes to dispel widespread fear of newcomers and raise awareness of why so many people are compelled to leave their homes at this time of history.  I went online to find a “Tool Kit” for pastoral leaders that offers ideas how we can show support and solidarity with migrants and refugees in schools, at Mass, and in the community.  I would like to share with you one item that I found there.  This is Catholic Teaching on Immigrants and Refugees.  This is part of my ongoing series for Respect Life Month.
The Church’s teaching on migration is rooted in the Gospel and in the rich tradition of Catholic social teaching.  A recent example of this teaching is in Strangers No Longer:  Together on a Journey of Hope, a joint pastoral letter concerning migration from the Catholic Bishops of Mexico and the United States.  The pastoral letter promotes five principles that should be used to help formulate migration-related policy.
 
Persons have a 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.
 
Persons have a right to migrate to support themselves and their families.  The Church recognizes that all the goods of the Earth belong to all people.  When people 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 provide this right.
 
Sovereign nations have the right to control their borders.   The Church recognizes the right of sovereign nations to control their territories and their borders.  However, wealthier nations, which have the ability to better protect and feed their residents, have a strong obligation to accommodate migration flows.
 
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 have their claims fully considered by a competent authority.
 
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 by enforcement officers from both receiving and transit countries.  The Church recognizes the right of every sovereign state to control its borders to promote the common good.  It also recognizes the right of every human being to migrate in order to enjoy his or her God-given rights.  These teachings complement each other.  Government policies that respect the basic human rights of the undocumented are necessary.
 
The purpose of the Share the Journey Campaign is to inspire communities to build relationships with refugees and immigrants, and to love their neighbors in the U.S. and around the world in a number of ways.  We, as a parish, have already been engaged in this effort.  A group of parishioners have been helping the Al Humayer family meet the many challenges that refugees from Syria encounter when trying to adapt to life in the United States.  Through an initial contact with our parish St. Vincent de Paul Conference we also started to help another Syrian refugee family negotiate the complex issues they face in trying to adjust to life here.  There is a small core group of parishioners who are helping these families. But the group would welcome anyone else who would like to help with this work of mercy.  If you want to assist with this or want more information about our work with these families, please contact our Social Concerns Minister, Tony Bosnick (301-840-1407 or [email protected]).
I would be happy to provide anyone with a copy of Strangers No Longer:  Together on the Journey of Hope, the pastoral letter summarized above.  Please contact me if you would like this and I’ll be happy to send it to you.
 
Until next week,
Fr. John