(RNS) — Vice President J.D. Vance has executed what the U.S. bishops have been incapable of doing: He has made their place on migrants and refugees nationwide information.
I’ve not seen such a fortuitous political blunder since Common Alexander Haig, the Catholic chief of employees to President Nixon, attacked the bishops for his or her pastoral letter on peace, which introduced it to nationwide consideration.
Thanks, Mr. Vice President!
In an interview on “Face the Nation,” Vice President Vance expressed disappointment as a Catholic that the U.S. Catholic bishops aren’t supporting the brand new administration’s actions in opposition to migrants and refugees. He mentioned the bishops’ assist for refugees was motivated by their need to get cash from federal applications geared toward serving to refugees.
“I believe that the U.S. Convention of Catholic Bishops wants to truly look within the mirror a little bit bit and acknowledge that once they obtain over $100 million to assist resettle unlawful immigrants, are they fearful about humanitarian issues? Or are they really fearful about their backside line? We’re going to implement immigration legislation. We’re going to guard the American individuals,” Vance advised host Margaret Brennan, earlier than happening to suggest that the bishops didn’t care about youngsters being trafficked for intercourse.
“I imagine the U.S. Convention of Catholic Bishops, in the event that they’re fearful concerning the humanitarian prices of immigration enforcement, allow them to speak concerning the youngsters who’ve been intercourse trafficked due to the extensive open border of Joe Biden,” he mentioned.
Inside the day, the bishops launched an announcement saying that federal funds don’t cowl the complete prices of their applications serving to refugees, not to mention present a revenue.
Due to the vp, the nationwide press could lastly understand the Catholic bishops care about one thing apart from abortion.
Up to now, when Democrats have been within the White Home, a favourite faith story was the battle over abortion between the U.S. Catholic bishops and the Democratic administration.
Ignored have been all of the areas the place the bishops agree with or are extra liberal than Democratic politicians, reminiscent of on increasing well being care, training, housing and social providers to assist the poor and marginalized.
For instance, the bishops assist common well being care, even for migrants within the U.S. with out authorized standing. No Democratic politician would say this.
The fights over abortion led many People, together with reporters, to see the Catholic bishops as partisan advocates for Republicans like so many evangelical ministers. However the Catholic bishops advocate on a variety of public insurance policies and don’t endorse political candidates or events.
True, some bishops say abortion is the one concern that ought to information Catholic voters, however that has by no means been the place of the Vatican or of the U.S. Convention of Catholic Bishops. Most bishops keep away from the looks of endorsing events or candidates.
The subsequent 4 years are going to be a rocky time between the Catholic bishops and the Trump administration. Now that Trump has made the Republican Celebration prochoice, there is no such thing as a cause for the bishops to not take off the gloves in advocating for the poor and marginalized.
In reality, the bishops have been very vital of Trump on refugees and migrants throughout his first time period in workplace.
As I’ve reported prior to now, in press releases on immigrants and refugees, the bishops forcefully attacked the administration’s insurance policies as “misguided and untenable,” “unacceptable,” “appalling,” “devastating,” “very regarding,” “heartbreaking,” “illegal and inhumane,” “horrible,” “callous,” “disturbing” and “opposite to American and Christian values.”
They persistently argued that migrants and refugees needs to be welcomed and handled with compassion and that the administration’s actions had “created a local weather of concern in our parishes and communities throughout the nation.”
However these press releases obtained little protection within the nationwide media as a result of they went in opposition to the narrative that the bishops are Republicans. Due to the vp, that narrative may change.
The bishops held their fireplace instantly after the 2024 election, ready to see what Trump would do. Whereas they cheered the chief orders on gender and defunding abortion overseas, they criticized Trump’s actions on migrants and refugees.
Even earlier than the chief orders have been issued, the USCCB spokesperson mentioned, “The Catholic Church’s foundational instructing calls us to uphold the sacredness of human life and the God-given dignity of the human individual. Because of this the take care of immigrants, refugees, and the poor is a part of the identical instructing of the Church that requires us to guard essentially the most weak amongst us, particularly unborn youngsters, the aged and the infirm.”
After the orders have been issued, the bishops despatched out their huge gun, their president, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, who said, “Some provisions contained within the Government Orders, reminiscent of these centered on the therapy of immigrants and refugees, international help, growth of the dying penalty, and the surroundings, are deeply troubling and can have damaging penalties, lots of which is able to hurt essentially the most weak amongst us.”
He prayed that our nation “reveal a real take care of our most weak sisters and brothers, together with the unborn, the poor, the aged and infirm, and migrants and refugees.”
Broglio was shortly adopted by Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, who on Jan. 22 condemned “using sweeping generalizations to denigrate any group, reminiscent of describing all undocumented immigrants as ‘criminals’ or ‘invaders,’ to deprive them of safety below the legislation, is an affront to God, who has created every of us in his personal picture.”
He supported anti-trafficking however famous that “a number of of the chief orders signed by President Trump this week are particularly supposed to eviscerate humanitarian protections enshrined in federal legislation and undermine due course of, subjecting weak households and youngsters to grave hazard.”
He additionally expressed concern about “the open-ended deployment of army belongings to assist civil immigration enforcement alongside the U.S.-Mexico border.”
Slightly than weakening gangs, “stopping any entry to asylum and different protections will solely endanger those that are most weak and deserving of aid, whereas empowering gangs and different predators to use them,” mentioned the bishop.
He affirmed that “halting refugee resettlement is unmerited, as it’s already confirmed to be probably the most safe authorized pathways to the US.”
The next day, Bishops Seitz was joined by the heads of the Catholic Well being Affiliation and Catholic Charities USA in objecting to Trump’s government order lifting restrictions on immigration enforcement in “protected areas” reminiscent of church buildings, colleges and hospitals.
“Non-emergency immigration enforcement in colleges, locations of worship, social service companies, healthcare services, or different delicate settings the place individuals obtain important providers can be opposite to the frequent good,” mentioned these Catholic leaders. “With the mere rescission of the protected areas steerage, we’re already witnessing reticence amongst immigrants to interact in every day life, together with sending youngsters to highschool and attending spiritual providers.”
“All individuals have a proper to satisfy their obligation to God with out concern,” they mentioned. “Turning locations of care, therapeutic, and solace into locations of concern and uncertainty for these in want, whereas endangering the belief between pastors, suppliers, educators and the individuals they serve, won’t make our communities safer.”
There may be not a lot new in what the bishops are saying. They mentioned it over the past Trump administration, however maybe now, because of the vp, extra individuals pays consideration.
