The following column appeared in the November 28, 2009 edition of The Tablet.
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,
For the past three weeks, I have been traveling and attending some important meetings and would like to share with you what I have learned during this time. The first meeting was the VI World Congress on Migration sponsored by the Pontifical Council for the Care of Migrants and Itinerant People. It was held in the Vatican offices in Rome and was attended by over 350 people, 40 of whom were bishops, as well as several cardinals. The theme of the meetings was “Five Years After the Pontifical Decree, ‘The Love of Christ Towards Migrants’.” This decree set the tone for the policy of the Church on migrants for the past five years and was the basis for the many discussions in this four-day meeting.
Migration has intensified with the new area of globalization. There are probably no countries in the world that are not affected by the issue of migration, either by immigrants entering or emigrants leaving. To see so many counties represented with people involved in migration was truly heartwarming and was a great opportunity for networking with people from all over the world.
Migration is an issue in our own country which most probably will be taken up in the next year in the U.S. Congress, especially the situation of the undocumented. Another important issue is a reform of the total immigration system that, hopefully, might conform to our Catholic understanding of migration as a social issue that needs to be addressed as part of the social doctrine of the Church.
Some of the themes treated at the meeting involved the care of immigrants in detention, the link between migration and development, the pastoral care of migrants in receiving countries, and the place of the Church in assisting immigrants to integrate into the new countries.w Many other themes were treated, but clearly the basic issues were summarized in our audience with the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, as he encouraged the delegates in his address to the Congress.
Pope Benedict commented on the global context in which migration is happening today, particularly in light of the global economic crisis. He also spoke about migration in its positive aspects, especially in regard to cultural exchange between peoples. As a worldwide Church, the ability of the Church to assist dialogue between various peoples is a special and necessary characteristic of our Catholic Church. The pope then spoke about a theology of welcome and hospitality, citing St. Paul who urged Christians to listen to the Word of God and imitate Christ who welcomed all people to Himself. And finally, he emphasized the key concept of Catholic social doctrine, that is the respect of the human person. When the respect for the individual is carried out, nations and people will adopt the correct policy in regard to migration and many other social issues. The meeting was well worth attending. As a member of this Pontifical Council since 2000, it was heartwarming for me to see the work progressing so well with a new president of the Council, Archbishop Antonio Vegliò, and its vice president, Archbishop Agostino Marchetto.
Unfortunately, there was not much time between the meeting in Rome and the annual U.S. Bishops’ General Meeting in Baltimore. I arrived home from Rome on Friday evening and departed for Baltimore on Saturday morning with barely enough time to repack.
The Bishops’ meeting this year centered on three major discussions: the liturgy with new translations of prayers and other texts, the document on the defense of marriage, and the discussion of the healthcare legislation currently before our federal legislators.
The liturgy somehow can be a lightning rod whenever it is discussed among the bishops. All of us are involved in the liturgy. Bishops, priests, deacons, Religious and the laity have a particular insight into what is the center of the spiritual life of the Church. Strong opinions are voiced on almost every aspect of the new translations that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) forwards to Rome for final approval. It is a fascinating process and will mean some adjustments for all in the future.
Another most important work of the Bishops was a statement on marriage and family. This statement basically has two parts: an overview of the current situation of marriage and family in our country and a theological reflection of family as a part of our faith. Unfortunately, marriage and the family need defense today. Our society is undercutting these pivotal social institutions in many different ways. Besides the issue of divorce and the breakdown of the family, the redefinition of marriage attempted in some states whereby same-sex unions become the equivalent of marriage must be addressed. If the Church would not speak about marriage and the family, who can speak authoritatively about these important issues? These natural institutions have been given supernatural value by Christ’s institution of the sacrament of marriage. When the sacramentality of marriage is understood, then some of the real problems we face today can be avoided. It is a massive job of educating our own Catholics and witnessing to a larger society of what we believe about marriage and the family. This statement is available on the USCCB website (www.usccb.org) and is well worth reading.
Finally, the Bishops discussed the issue of healthcare and the current involvement of the USCCB in trying to influence the legislation for the better. The Bishops have had a long-standing position regarding healthcare and the basic elements of any reform. The Bishops have always stood with those who have no health insurance and also have made it clear that abortion should not be funded with public monies. The principle of subsidiary that is relegation of action to the lower level of competency is always a better way than subsuming issues to a higher level of authority. This is part of the current debate in the healthcare arena. There is the federal option, more government intervention and intrusions on the individual rights of those who pay for their own health insurance. As the final debate on this issue is yet to occur in Washington, there is much advocacy that still needs to be exercised to have a workable healthcare reform that meets all the criterion of the Bishops’ policy. Whether it is migration, healthcare reform, liturgy or the defense of marriage, we see that all of these issues urge us to go beyond the present limits and to put out into the deep. A new look at these essential factors in our faith life is necessary if we will continue to make progress in making our world and Church a better place.
It is my hope that your Thanksgiving celebration was a pleasant family occasion and one that has allowed you to strengthen the bonds within your own family.