Missouri’s Catholic bishops are urging lawmakers and policymakers at every level of government to work toward lasting solutions to the challenges and opportunities brought by immigrants and immigration to this country.
« We urge our elected officials at every level to reflect this truth in policy by pursuing comprehensive immigration reform that secures our borders while offering a just and merciful pathway for those who are already part of our communities, » the bishops proclaimed in a statement released Oct. 5.
« It is time to move beyond temporary fixes to a solution that honors the dignity of all and provides security and protects the sovereignty of our nation, » the bishops stated. « Both are necessary for a prosperous future. »
Signing the statement were Archbishop Mitchel Rozanski of St. Louis, Bishop James Johnston Jr. of Kansas City-St. Joseph and Bishop Edward Rice of Springfield-Cape Girardeau in their role as board members of the Missouri Catholic Conference. The MCC is the public-policy agency of the state’s four Catholic dioceses.
The Jefferson City Diocese will not have a bishop until Bishop-designate Ralph B. O’Donnell is ordained and installed on Oct. 28.
The Missouri bishops’ statement coincided with the annual World Day of Migrants and Refugees, observed this year Oct. 4-5, and the churchwide observance of the Jubilee of Migrants.
In the statement, they acknowledge the growing anxiety and uncertainty in this nation surrounding the issue of immigration.
They highlighted a central truth of the Christian faith: « Every human person is created in the image and likeness of God and thus possesses an inherent dignity that is inviolable. »
The bishops pointed out that many individuals and families have come to America fleeing violence, poverty and extraordinary hardship.
« These are not mere statistics, but brothers and sisters in the human family, members who belong to and contribute to our local communities, parishes and our nation, » the bishops stated.
They reiterated their support as shepherds of the Catholic Church in Missouri, for secure borders that ensure the safety and welfare of the nation.
« We also stand in solidarity with immigrants and their families, especially those who have already suffered so much in search of stability, peace, and safety, » the bishops stated.
They pointed to church teaching, articulated in Section 2241 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, that a society oriented to the common good must address the issue of immigration in a manner that is both just and merciful.
« Civil authorities are duty-bound to protect citizens and ensure the rule of law, especially against evildoers, » the bishops stated. « Yet, it is equally just, and profoundly Christian, to distinguish between violent criminals and those who are fleeing persecution or crushing poverty to seek a better life. »
They echoed a statement from St. John Paul II’s message for World Migration Day 1996: « His irregular legal status cannot allow the migrant to lose his dignity, since he is endowed with inalienable rights, which can neither be violated nor ignored. »
The bishops acknowledged the complexity of creating policies that are at once just, charitable and merciful.
Nonetheless, « we cannot remain indifferent, » they stated. « Our Lord reminds us, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me’ (Matthew 25:40). »
The bishops called on all Catholics and people of faith and goodwill to pray fervently for the nation’s leaders: « that they may govern with wisdom and compassion, and for those who flee persecution and hardship in search of safety. »
They also challenged all Catholics to learn and understand church teachings about migration and the dignity of the human person.
« And let us extend the hand of charity to migrants and refugees in our neighborhoods, schools and parishes, » they said.
The bishops closed by calling upon the intercession of the Blessed Mother under her title of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas.
