Many years ago when I was working on my undergraduate degree, I needed permission to write a paper on the importance of the Catholic Church speaking out on things that were happening in the world.
The professor in charge of giving me that permission couldn't understand the necessity of the Church speaking about current and cultural topics. My immediate teacher--a Catholic priest--understood that this was a legitimate topic to write on, and so I was given permission.
You can see that this argument against the necessity of the Church speaking out, continues to be a problem today. (I will write more about the "pope's letter," referenced, below.)
Here's what I just read on Newsmax.com:
"Border Czar Tom Homan, responding on Newsmax to Pope Francis' stern rebuke to the Trump administration over its mass deportation efforts, said the pontiff should concentrate on the Catholic church's woes instead.
"You ought to get out of the business of our national security and our border enforcement work and concentrate on the Catholic church," Homan told 'Wake Up America' on Tuesday. "You got a lot of problems right there in the Catholic church, You got enough to do. You got enough to fix in your own home. Leave the border stuff to us. We know what we're doing."
The letter he was referring to was a significant letter Pope Francis recently wrote to the United States Bishops. (https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/letters/2025/documents/20250210-lettera-vescovi-usa.html)
We need to keep in mind that the Catholic Church is not an island. It is a rightful leader in the world, particularly in areas of morality, dignity and a whole variety of issues that affect our treatment of others and the building of a fair and just nation. We have vast writings, and deep practices, on social justice.
The Pope pointed out in his letter that our value as humans "surpasses" and "sustains" the laws that regulate our life in society.
Additionally, the Pope says that equating one's illegal status as a migrant with that of being a criminal, is not right, although, he recognizes "the right of a nation to defend itself and keep communities safe . . ."
However, "deporting people who leave their own land due to poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution or serious deterioration of the environment . . ." is damaging to the dignity of men, women and their families, creating a situation where they become vulnerable and defenseless.
Not only does the Catholic Church necessarily speak out on matters such as immigration, deportation and so forth, but it has a responsibility to do so.
Who else is going to lead us according to right reason, ethical conduct and the good of all mankind, without the influence of politics and party agendas?
The Pope has a clear role--make that a clear mandate, from God--to lead the world, unencumbered by outside pressures.
I will give him the final word here. Notice he is speaking to everyone of "good will":
"I exhort all the faithful of the Catholic Church, and all men and
women of good will, not to give in to narratives that discriminate
against and cause unnecessary suffering to our migrant and refugee
brothers and sisters. With charity and clarity we are all called to live
in solidarity and fraternity, to build bridges that bring us ever
closer together, to avoid walls of ignominy and to learn to give our
lives as Jesus Christ gave his for the salvation of all." (LETTER OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS
TO THE BISHOPS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA)
Janet Cassidy
Email me at: jmctm2@gmail.com
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Yes!
ReplyDeleteI think part of the problem with such perceptions is the idea that being Catholic - and religion in general - is "spiritual": in the sense of being ethereal, otherworldly, disconnected from objective reality.
'In the world but not of the world' is something of a cliche. But I think there's no sense in believing something - without acting as if what I believe matters.