September 15, 2024 - "Continuing Discussions About False Claims"

First of all, Catholic organizations have been serving newcomers throughout the history of the United States, long before public funding was offered for this purpose and regardless of who occupied public office. By 1920, 75% of U.S. Catholics were immigrants.  In 1948, more than thirty years before the Refugee Admissions Program was established by Congress, almost 90% of Catholic dioceses in the United States had a resettlement director appointed by the local bishop to support the Church’s resettlement of refugees.

 

Second, accusations that the Catholic Church is betraying the United States, violating its tax-exempt status, or seeking new members through its ministries serving newcomers are nothing new.  Anti-Catholic bias, political motivations, and misinformation have long undergirded such claims.  Assisting newcomers, however, is one of the Corporal Works of Mercy and integral to Catholic identity.  “For the Church, charity is not a kind of welfare activity which could well be left to others, but is a part of her nature, an indispensable expression of her very being” (Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est, no. 25).

 

Third, since 2019, the federal government has provided funding to support the humanitarian aid offered by nonprofit organizations to migrants, given increased need along the U.S.-Mexico border and in the interior of the United States. Some Catholic organizations have applied for and received this funding for their disaster relief efforts, to enhance the security of their facilities, to address homelessness, and other legitimate ends. They do not profit from this type of funding, which can only be used for prescribed purposes.

 

Finally, let me make note that September 9, 2024, marked the 40th Anniversary of “What We Have Seen and Heard” – A Pastoral Letter on Evangelization from the Black Bishops of the United States. This date also appropriately coincides with the Feast Day of St. Peter Claver. Originally published on September 9, 1984, this pastoral letter is particularly meaningful as it honors St. Peter Claver, who dedicated his life to serving enslaved Africans. The ten Black Bishops, inspired by the Holy Spirit, felt compelled to address the unique needs and challenges faced by the Black community. As we celebrate the 40th Anniversary of this pastoral letter, we are called to consider the importance of this message in 1984 and its ongoing relevance for evangelization within the Black community and broader Catholic Church today. We are called to action in this pastoral letter to share our gifts and opportunities for evangelization within our communities.

 

Until next week,   Fr. John