The Catholic News Herald has done a good job informing the faithful of the tragic “zero tolerance” policy by the Trump administration on our nation’s southern border. These stories have originated from the Catholic News Service, and many U.S. bishops are quoted, as well as immigration policy experts.
A glaring omission is the local or diocesan angle, with little reaction from our own clergy and parishes. This is the precise moment that our leaders should employ Catholic social teaching to shine a diocesan spotlight on the plight of these undocumented migrants. The overriding principle of this teaching is the dignity and rights of each person, with emphasis on the most vulnerable.
As a result of public uproar, the White House has rescinded its child separation policy and a judge has ordered families to be reunited within 30 days. But as Catholics we must keep vigilant of social injustice and describe it for what it is – immoral. We need to urge Bishop Peter Jugis and our pastors to remind us that the Gospel means less when we don’t bring it to action in today’s world.
As the Catholic News Herald’s June 22 front page headline exclaims: “We must do better.”
George Burazer lives in Charlotte.
It is somewhat encouraging that you included an article from Catholic News Service in the May 25 issue on the recent school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas. But other than expressing deep sadness for this incident, there was little that Cardinal Daniel DiNardo had to offer in the way of concrete action.
We as Catholics don’t hesitate to speak up, march and take other actions regarding abortion, but we can’t seem to find our voices regarding the gun issue.
Yes, we bemoan the degradation of our culture as the blame for these school shootings, but we just can’t mention the word “gun.” We like to say that “it is not about the guns,” as we express our thoughts and prayers.
To the young people in our schools, however, it is absolutely about the guns. Our young people are the ones facing the muzzles of the guns and getting wounded or killed.
To them, our feeble excuses about culture, mental illness and Second Amendment rights don’t mean too much.
And surely they are wondering why we are not standing up for them in supporting real action on gun control. Police Chief Art Acevedo of Houston, Texas, got it right when he recently said, “This isn’t a time for prayers, and study and inaction; it’s a time for prayers, action and asking of God forgiveness for our inaction.”
Kenneth Schammel lives in Cornelius.