Dear Fathers,
The following statement is being issued this afternoon from Bishop McManus given the concerns being raised with recent executive orders which allow for ICE arrests in churches and schools. (See story on page 3 of today's issue of The Catholic Free Press). The statement is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese (PDF attachments below)
Please share the statement however you feel works for your parish. It will be posted today on both the diocesan website and on The Catholic Free Press website.
We also want to call your attention to the fact that the Superintendent's Office will be issuing a statement to all Catholic school principals today which clarifies policies already in place to protect our students and the privacy of their information.
Thank you.
Statement by Most Reverend Robert J. McManus, Bishop of Worcester regarding changes in Immigration policies with respect to churches and schools
As Catholics we can never abandon a fundamental tenet of our faith: every person from conception to natural death is made in the image and likeness of God and is loved by God and, as such, deserves to be treated with dignity. This applies not only to the child in the womb, whom we remember in a special way this week at rallies in Washington DC and around the country, but also migrants, refugees, the homeless and all who are facing physical and emotional distress. We are all God’s children.
I echo the words of Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, when he wrote that “Church teaching recognizes a country’s right and responsibility to promote public order, safety, and security through well-regulated borders and just limits on immigration. However, as shepherds, we cannot abide injustice, and we stress that national self-interest does not justify policies with consequences that are contrary to the moral law.”
A hallmark of America has been the freedom to worship God in our daily lives and in a particular way in our houses of worship. Let us pray fervently that, as our federal government seeks to find better ways to resolve the crisis at the borders, that it will also continue to respect that right to worship for all our brothers and sisters who are in our churches in prayer, whether communally or privately. Our churches are public places to which people come to seek God’s comfort and hope; we cannot turn them into places where people at prayer do not feel safe.
We would do well to call to mind these words from the U.S. Bishop’s Conference Administrative Committee statement issued on March17, 2022: “What must always be in the forefront of our thoughts and actions is the fact that each and every person, including the newcomer, is a brother or sister to us all and a blessing to welcoming communities when given the opportunity to integrate. We must acknowledge not only the inherent dignity of immigrants but also embrace their contributions and potential.”
In this Jubilee Year of Hope, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, reminds us that Christ’s hope for eternal salvation is offered to all, and in a particular way we must extend that message of hope to those most in need. May God help us in that baptismal call to share the Good News to all.
January 24, 2025
