Points to Ponder Concerning Immigration Part 2 of 10
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Over the centuries Catholic theology has always promoted
human rights and responsibilities of people.
The popes and bishops have articulated some basic principles on
immigration. The first of 3
main ones is presented below. Others
will appear in future columns of this series.
People have the right
to migrate to sustain their lives and the lives of their families.
At the end of World War II, with the fall of the Nazi empire and
the subsequent creation of the Soviet “Iron Curtain,”
Europe
faced an unprecedented
migration of millions of people seeking safety, food, and freedom.
At that time, Pope Pius XII wrote Exsul
Familia (The Émigré Family, placing the Church squarely on the side
of those seeking a better life by fleeing their homes.)
When there
is a massive movement of people such as during a war, natural disaster, or
famine, the lands that receive these displaced people may be threatened.
The influx may make it impossible for the native population to live
securely, as the land may not have enough resources to support both.
Even in more orderly migrations, such as in the
United States
, citizens and residents
of the land may fear that newcomers will take jobs, land, and resources,
impoverishing the people already present.
Because of the
belief that newcomers compete for scarce resources, immigrants and
refugees are at times driven away, resented, or despised.
Nevertheless, the first principle of Catholic social teaching
regarding immigrants is that people have the right to migrate to sustain
their lives and the lives of their families.
This is based on biblical and ancient Christian teaching that the
goods of the earth belong to all people.
While the right to private property is defended in Catholic social
teaching, individuals do not have the right to use private property
without regard for the common good.
Every person has
an equal right to receive from the earth what is necessary for life –
food, clothing, shelter. Moreover,
every person has the right to education, medical care, religion, and the
expression of one’s culture. In
many places people live in fear, danger, or dehumanizing poverty.
Clearly, it is not God’s will that some of his children live in
luxury while others have nothing. In
Luke’s Gospel, the rich man was condemned for living well while the poor
man starved at his doorstep (Lk
16:19
-31).
The
native does not have superior rights over the immigrant.
Before God all are equal; the earth was given by God to all.
When a person cannot achieve a meaningful life in his or her own
land, that person has the right to move.
~~~
“A Guide to
Understanding Catholic Social Teaching on Immigration and the Movement of
Peoples” Migration
Policy and Public Affairs Office of US Conference of Catholic Bishops -
Migration & Refugee Services
www.usccb.org/mrs/cst
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