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Rejoice, O young man, while you are young
and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth.
Follow the ways of your heart,
the vision of your eyes;
Yet understand that as regards all this
God will bring you to judgment.
Ward off grief from your heart
and put away trouble from your presence,
though the dawn of youth is fleeting.

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,
before the evil days come
And the years approach of which you will say,
I have no pleasure in them;
Before the sun is darkened,
and the light, and the moon, and the stars,
while the clouds return after the rain;
When the guardians of the house tremble,
and the strong men are bent,
And the grinders are idle because they are few,
and they who look through the windows grow blind;
When the doors to the street are shut,
and the sound of the mill is low;
When one waits for the chirp of a bird,
but all the daughters of song are suppressed;
And one fears heights,
and perils in the street;
When the almond tree blooms,
and the locust grows sluggish
and the caper berry is without effect,
Because man goes to his lasting home,
and mourners go about the streets;
Before the silver cord is snapped
and the golden bowl is broken,
And the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
and the broken pulley falls into the well,
And the dust returns to the earth as it once was,
and the life breath returns to God who gave it.

Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth,
all things are vanity!

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Saturday of the Twenty-fifth Week in Ordinary Time

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Rejoice, O young man, while you are young and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth.Follow the ways of your heart,the vision of your eyes;Yet understand that as regards all thisGod will bring you to judgment.Ward off grief from your heartand put away trouble from your presence,though the dawn of youth is fleeting.

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Listening practice (American accent)

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Daily Readings - Audio - from the New American Bible

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Audio Podcasts, iTunes and RSS Feeds for the NAB Daily Readings

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Key Catholic terms

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UNIAN news. The latest news in Ukraine and worldwide

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Read the top-news of politics in Ukraine and the world, the latest political news from the UNIAN news agency.

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Africa Faith & Justice Network, 3025 4th St. NE, Suite 122, Washington, D. C. 20017 | 202.817.3670 | afjn@afjn.org

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Eritrean Church (St Michael's), The Jungle, Calais, France

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Eritrean Church (St Michael's), The Jungle, Calais, France

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Afghan Bru on a bicycle I brought from York

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Afghan Bru on a bicycle I brought from York

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One of Helen's photos from the "jungle" refugee camp in Calais, France

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The Catholic University of America's Institute for Policy Research (IPR) is a global community of scholars, researchers, and professionals. Our Fellows, scholars, associated professionals and students have been serving the Church, the nation, and the world since our founding in 1974.

NEW! IPR Fellow and podcast host Matthew Foley, J.D. discusses blockchain technology and what has been called the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

IPR Fellow Matt Foley has a new podcast called "My Digital Self." Find it here , and on

His Eminence Cardinal Berhaneyesus Souraphiel

of Ethiopia Visits Catholic University's Weiner Collection of Ethiopic Manuscripts.

The collection of more than 600 handmade leather manuscripts is one of the most important collections of Ethiopian religious texts in the United States.

Jeremy Brown, (left) Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literatures shows one of the manuscripts to Cardinal Souraphiel and Fitsum Arega,(right) Ethiopian Ambassador to the U.S.

A handmade page of one book, intricately illuminated, is typical of the collection that is stored within CUA's Institute of Christian Oriental Research (ICOR), a research auxiliary of the Semitics department.

Cardinal Berhaneyesus Souraphiel travelled from Addis Ababa to Washington, D.C. to meet with the largest diaspora community of Ethiopians in the U.S. The Cardinal heads the Peace and Reconciliation Committee in his country, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize this year for its efforts to resolve long-standing conflicts with neighboring Eritrea, and for "important reforms that give many citizens hope for a better life and a brighter future." The Cardinal also visited The Catholic University of America to meet with President Garvey, students in Dr. Cusimano Love's Politics class, and the Curator and staff of the Semitics/ICOR Collections.

​

Interview: Sen Nieh of the China Working Group

Tuidang: "Quitting the Party" Gaining Momentum

Sen Nieh, chair and professor, mechanical engineering was interviewed by The Epoch Times about a petition that seeks White House support to break ties with the Chinese communist party.

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Read more
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NEW!:

Video Dialogues

Episode 1: Dr. Dennis Nilsen & Dr. Srdja Trifković. Trifkovic is the editor at Chronicles Magazine for foreign affairs, professor of international relations at the University of Banja Luka, and renowned expert on the politics and history of the Balkans. Nilsen holds a PhD in Politics from the Catholic University of America (2018) and has spent almost ten years teaching politics and history at the university level.

Interfaith Group Raises Awareness of Ongoing Genocide and Persecution of Rohingya and Kachin peoples in Myanmar.

IPR Fellow Marshall Breger, an expert in International Law (2nd from the right) meets with an interfaith task force working on the humanitarian crisis in the Rohingya and Kachin populations in Myanmar. From the left, Joe Murray of First Principles Strategies; U Shwe Maung, fmr. member of the Myanmar Parliament; Imam Malik Majahid, Chair of the Burma Task Force, USA; Sut Nau Ndayu, U.S. President of the Kachin National Organization; and Rabbi Michael Safra. On Thursday, Dec. 13, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 394 to 1, (with 38 not voting) to declare the violence against the Rohingya a genocide, and condemned the arrest of two Reuter's journalists who reported on mass graves in the country.

Donate to IPR

Please be sure to designate IPR as your specific area of support!

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The Catholic University of America's Institute for Policy Research (IPR) is a global community of scholars, researchers, and professionals. Our Fellows, scholars, associated professionals and students have been serving the Church, the nation, and the world since our founding in 1974. NEW! IPR Fellow and podcast host Matthew Foley, J.D.

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Excitement is building as people prepare to gather from countries around the world in Kraków, Poland for World Youth Day 2016. Those gathered will speak dozens of languages, represent different cultures, have various expressions of faith-and join together as one Church. It is a powerful image of solidarity, which means that we are united as brothers and sisters in Christ and that, as one family, we look after each other.

WYD offers a unique opportunity for pilgrims to reflect on and practice a spirituality of solidarity as they prepare for, go on and return from their journey. Below are a few tips from Catholic Relief Services about how to make the most of this experience.

1. Pray for a deeper understanding of solidarity.
As you prepare for and eventually make your pilgrimage, pause daily to remember why you are undergoing this experience. Pray that God will open your heart to others. Begin with this prayer for pilgrimages ( en Español) to help you get started.

2. Go out of your way to greet other people.
When else will you have the opportunity to meet people from all over the world at one time? As you participate and travel to WYD events, you will meet people from many different countries. Use the moments when you're waiting to take a train or for an event to start as opportunities for encounter with others. Greet the folks near you and try to creatively interact with them, even if you don't speak the same language. You might try singing songs-like Alleluia or Taizé songs-or praying the rosary at the same time, in your own language. You could also try to play a simple game together that doesn't require language. Your group can play it first as other people watch and learn, and then motion to them to join in.

Here's one idea: Invite folks to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in a tight circle. The game starts with everyone looking at the ground. At the leader's signal, each person looks up immediately at someone else standing in the circle. If two people happen to make eye contact with each other, the person who shouts first stays in the circle and the other person is eliminated. Repeat until there are only two people left in the circle. These two win!

3. Offer your pilgrimage for people around the world who are suffering most.
Sacrifice is a part of pilgrimage. Though it's a privilege to participate in WYD, the experience may not be luxurious. Odds are high that you will sleep on a floor packed with other pilgrims, will be served food you don't like, and will spend a lot of time waiting. Rather than complain in these moments, try approaching these inconveniences as opportunities to pray for others, like refugees, who have fled their home countries and do not have consistent access to housing or food, or who are stuck waiting for long periods of time to receive services.

4. Learn about how the Church works in the countries you saw represented.
Remember where the people you meet live and look up their home countries when you return. CRS helps Catholics in the United States live their faith in solidarity with people who are in need overseas, reaching people in more than 100 countries. Check out CRS projects by country to learn about efforts in the places represented by people at WYD. And find out how you can get involved in this work through your youth ministry or university.

5. Stay committed to the practice of mercy.
Whether you will read the pope's WYD homily from your home in the U.S., or you will be worshiping with the masses in Krakow, you are bound to hear Pope Francis urge young people to practice Christ's mercy. And while we certainly must start by showing mercy to the people with whom we interact every day, it should not end there. We can show mercy to people around the world. How? These small group resources discuss how to "live mercy" to help you more intentionally reflect with others on the issue. In addition, buying fair trade products-which ensure artisans and farmers around the world are paid fairly for their work-help us to "live mercy" in the market place. And you can ask lawmakers to enact merciful policies by speaking up through legislative advocacy.

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5 Ways to Practice Solidarity at World Youth Day

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Excitement is building as people prepare to gather from countries around the world in Kraków, Poland for World Youth Day 2016. Those gathered will speak dozens of languages, represent different cultures, have various expressions of faith-and join together as one Church.

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Organizing for Power, Organizing for Change

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drafted in September 2001 in Washington DC; Revised 9/23/03

We are very different groups. We are not necessarily immediate allies nor are we each other's greatest enemy. There are many things on which we do not agree. But, we will be in the streets together during the FTAA protests in Miami. We know that the police and media are trying to divide us in order to crush our movements. Solidarity is the way in which our diversity becomes our strength, we build our movements and we protect each othersâ€™ bodies, lives and rights.

We believe we have some things in common. We believe in basic human rights and the need to live with respect and dignity. We believe we must protect this planet, our air, water, earth and food or we will all die. We believe these global corporate and political institutions are serving only the interests of the rich. We all agree it's time for fundamental and radical change.

As we take to the streets together, let us work to be in solidarity with one another. The following suggestions offer ways in which we can make our solidarity real.

Personal

Challenge and critique other groups and individuals in constructive ways and in a spirit of respect

Listen without getting defensive. Be open in thinking, not rigid in positions

Donâ€™t make assumptions no matter what a person looks like or what groups they belong to

Donâ€™t assume tactics are the only way to measure militancy or radicalness

Refrain from personal attacks, even with people whom strongly disagree. (Focus on how you feel, not what they did.)

Understand that even though we may disagree we have come to our politics, strategies and choice of tactics through thoughtful and intelligent consideration of issues, circumstances and experiences.

Street

Do not intentionally put people at risk who have not chosen it

Do not turn people over to the police

Do not let people within our own groups interfere with other groups

Respect the work of all medics, legal observers, independent media people

Share food, water, medical and other supplies

Support everyone who is hurt, gassed, shot or beaten.

Respect other groupsâ€™ rights to do a certain type of protest at certain times and places. If you choose to participate, do so within the tone and tactics they set. If you do not agree, do not participate in that protest or bring another protest into that time and space.

Understand that our actions and tactics have repercussions that go beyond ourselves and our immediate groups. And that some tactics overrun the space of others.

If you choose to negotiate with the police, never do so for other groups to which you are not a part.

Media

Do not denounce other demonstrators.

Talk about your strategy, not others.

Acknowledge other groupsâ€™ existence and role they play in creating change

Acknowledge that we sometimes disagree about strategy and tactics.

Avoid using the word violence

Condemn police repression and brutality

Share media contacts and do not monopolize the mediaâ€™s attention

Jail Solidarity: No one is free until everybody is free

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drafted in September 2001 in Washington DC; Revised 9/23/03 We are very different groups. We are not necessarily immediate allies nor are we each other's greatest enemy. There are many things on which we do not agree. But, we will be in the streets together during the FTAA protests in Miami.

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Lawyers Help Community Power-Up by Randi Ilyse RothInterfaith Action has joined forces with Morning Star Baptist Church and several legal partners to provide vital volunteer legal support… Ending Homelessness Faster How can we help families find stable housing more quickly?

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Circle of Protection / An Alliance of Christian Leaders Committed to Ending Poverty

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Media Room

Letter to Church Leaders

Poverty-Related Advocacy Issues Now

In the name of Jesus Christ, grace and peace to you from our loving God.

Since 2011, church leaders from many families of U.S. Christianity have worked together to maintain a Circle of Protection around people struggling with hunger, poverty, and injustice. You have participated alongside us in this ministry. We are now writing to share the Circle of Protection steering committee's current thinking about the poverty-related issues facing us between now and this fall's elections. We don't all agree on every statement in this letter, but we think you will find it helpful to read about the issues we are discussing.
What we have achieved
The budget and appropriations packages that Congress approved in February and March marked a major step forward in the Circle of Protection's seven-year campaign to protect funding for domestic and international programs that help people in poverty. Despite seven years of budget brinksmanship and the deep cuts proposed in President Trump's budgets, Congress has not approved any substantial cuts in anti-poverty programs. The clear and unified position that you and many other Christian leaders have maintained-and the activism of many Christians across the country-have contributed to this remarkable result.

We are concerned about the recent surge of deficit spending, especially since only three percent of it funded assistance to people in poverty. Most of it went to the top one percent of the income distribution. When Congress and the president decide to address the deficit, as they should, no one should suggest doing so by cutting programs that help people in poverty.
Farm Bill
Right now, Congress is working on the Farm Bill. We are opposing the House Agriculture Committee's version because it would take away SNAP food assistance for more than two million people. It would reduce food assistance by $18 billion, in large part to finance an expanded SNAP bureaucracy. It would expand job requirements. All beneficiaries would need to report their status (whether they are working, caring for small children, disabled, or elderly) monthly rather than twice a year-a six-fold increase in paperwork, frustration, and possibilities for error. The very limited funding this bill provides for job training would not allow for effective training.

The House bill is defended as a strategy to get SNAP beneficiaries into jobs. But nearly three-quarters of working-age adults who are not on disability work within the month or year of receiving benefits. Almost two-thirds of SNAP participants are children, disabled, or elderly.

The House voted down their Agriculture Committee's bill, but Republican leaders have announced their intention to bring it back for another vote this month. The Senate Agriculture Committee just approved a bipartisan Farm Bill that does not include damaging cuts and changes to SNAP.

Please do what you can to defeat the House version of the Farm Bill and encourage passage of the Senate bill. Action on this issue is urgent.
Executive order to cut means-tested programs
President Trump has directed all the departments of government to do an immediate review of all means-tested programs. The president wants them to find ways to cut costs, mainly by imposing new or expanded job requirements in core safety net programs: Medicaid, SNAP, and housing assistance.

Evaluations of work requirements in assistance programs have found them to be an ineffective way to get people into jobs and reduce poverty. A much-cited exception followed welfare reform in 1996 when TANF work requirements were put in place. But the initial gains in employment were not sustained. Continuing job requirements on cash assistance to needy families have instead contributed to a surge in deep poverty-people living on less than $2 a day of cash income. The goal of program reforms should be to get people out of poverty, not just get them off the programs.
Policies to improve job opportunities
We are hoping that our nation's political leaders will pivot from their current focus on job requirements to policies that would improve job opportunities, especially for low-income people. When they consider investments in infrastructure, for example, we would like them to give priority to investments in communities of concentrated poverty. Public transportation from low-income neighborhoods to centers of employment would make it possible for many more families to work their way out of hunger and poverty. Broadband internet access would help depressed rural communities connect to economic activity.

Can you educate people who look to you for leadership about the disadvantages of expanded job requirements on assistance programs and about the possibility of policies that would improve job opportunities?
Appropriations
Congress is now working on Fiscal Year 2019 appropriations, including important decisions about many specific programs. President Trump has proposed $15.4 billion in rescissions from past appropriations, including a $7 billion cut from the Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Resistance to racism
In January, the Circle of Protection helped to develop and disseminate the Unity Statement on Racism and Poverty. Many church leaders are alarmed by the persistence and resurgence of explicit racism and hateful attitudes and policies toward immigrants. Racism is an attack on the image of God in each person, and racist laws and social structures are a major cause of poverty. Racial profiling and mass incarceration are realities that churches must no longer accept.

The Unity Statement led us to restructure the Circle of Protection steering committee to include stronger African-American and Latino leadership. We are grateful that the October annual meeting of Christian Churches Together will include discussion of the Unity Statement and of how predominantly white churches can educate their members about structural racism.

Criminal justice reform would be one way to address structural racism. The House of Representatives has passed a prison reform bill, but it does not address the problem of excessive mandatory sentences or effective models of restorative justice. Most of the faith community is supporting the Senate Judiciary Committee's bipartisan Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2017 (S. 1917). It would allow for judicial review of some mandatory sentences and strengthen federal-prison programs that reduce recidivism.

President Trump's harsh rhetoric and policies toward immigrants and refugees have done great harm. The faith community has expressed particular alarm about the separation of children from their parents at the border. We remain concerned about a regulation the White House is currently working on that would keep immigrants from becoming citizens if they have ever accepted public assistance. But the president and some members of Congress from both parties have said they want to reach a deal that would provide security for the "Dreamers." The Dream Act (S. 1615 and H.R. 2440) would provide a path to citizenship for all the Dreamers, allowing almost two million young people to move up into better jobs and, in the process, help many people in their families and communities out of poverty.

We hope you will join in faith-grounded anti-racism education and help to achieve criminal justice reform and positive immigration reform.
International hunger and poverty
There is opportunity for positive action on international hunger and poverty issues. The Global Food Security Act is up for reauthorization. That could continue our country's effective agriculture and nutrition assistance programs for another five years, with concentration on fragile states where conflict and climate change are increasing hunger. It would also continue hard-won improvements that have made U.S. food assistance more efficient and effective. This is important in desperate situations such as in South Sudan and Yemen.

Concerned Christian people can help by urging their members of Congress to cosponsor the Global Food Security Act. It is bill number S. 2269 in the Senate and H.R. 5129 in the House. Broad, bipartisan approval of the Global Food Security Act is possible and would help to protect appropriations for aid to hungry and poor people around the world.
Our wounded body politic, and this year's elections
Finally, church leaders are called to be both thoughtful and bold in helping their members contribute to the healing of our wounded body politic. Some Christian leaders are speaking out about the theological dimension of the exceptional turmoil and division we are suffering. Some Christian organizations are helping people of faith have an impact during this fall's elections.

We know you are praying for our nation and the world. Urge people who look to you for leadership to ask God to guide their conversation and behavior as citizens. Urge them to exercise their civic duty and support candidates for office who will serve the common good and improve opportunity for poor and vulnerable people. In Jesus Christ, we experience the love of God for all people and are moved to help and defend people who struggle with hunger, poverty, and injustice.

Open Letter to Congress

Unity Declaration on Racism and Poverty: A diverse body of Christian leaders calls on the churches and Congress to focus on the integral connection.

Dear Members of Congress,

As the president and Congress are preparing their plans for this year, almost 100 church leaders-from all the families of U.S. Christianity-are sharing a common "Unity Statement" on racism and poverty. As Christians, we are grounded in God's love for all people, and we feel called to ask our churches and political leaders of both parties to work together to overcome racism and poverty which are theological, biblical, and gospel issues for us, not merely political or partisan ones.

This moment in time and the clear movement of the Spirit have brought diverse multi-racial church leaders together over the last several months for dinner conversations and times of prayer. Out of those moving times together, we developed a Unity Statement on Racism and Poverty. It has attracted many more racially and theologically diverse church leaders and is now embraced by the Circle of Protection, the broadest group of Christian leaders focused on poverty. The leaders who have signed this statement are from African-American, Hispanic, Asian-American, Native American, Evangelical, Catholic, Pentecostal, and mainline Protestant churches; and many national faith-based organizations. We are all committed to help build a fresh, newly energetic, multi-racial Christian movement to make the integral connection between racism and poverty and seek the spiritual power to end both. We are also committed and are ready to work with allies from other faith communities on the crucial intersection between racism and poverty as it shapes public policy.

We are purposefully sending you this statement before you go to your respective retreats. In addition to reading this statement thoughtfully, we ask for the following three things: first, we ask you to discuss this statement and the issues central to it-racism and poverty-at your retreats; second, we ask you to incorporate these concerns into your policy decisions and legislation in 2018 and beyond; third, we ask you to convene meetings with faith leaders in your communities to plan follow-up action on these issues in your states and districts. Racism and poverty are systemic issues that are central to the Bible and the teachings of Jesus. Therefore, they are critical to policy choices made by political leaders of faith and conscience. We will be following up with you directly to see how we can be helpful and useful to you as you consider these deeply biblical and theological issues.

We believe if we Christians from diverse backgrounds and traditions were known, not mostly for our divisions, but for our unity in a shared commitment to faithfully address both racism and poverty-together-it could be powerful force-both for our churches and the country. So help us God.

For Immediate Release

What Christian Leaders are Saying About the Tax Bill's Passage

Washington, D.C. - Christian leaders from all the families of U.S. Christianity expressed concern that Congress' passage of the tax bill will be followed by efforts to cut programs and support for people living in poverty. Below are statements from leaders of the Circle of Protection. The statements follow a letter the Circle of Protection sent to members of Congress recently, which reads in part:

"We oppose cutting low-income programs to pay for tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the wealthy. Tax reform must be undertaken in such a way as to strengthen and empower low and moderate-income families and small businesses."

As Christian leaders, our concern is always about how legislation impacts the poor and most vulnerable. We will continue to pray, mobilize, and advocate on behalf of our neighbors in poverty.

Quotes from Circle of Protection leaders:5>

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops: "Today, Congress passed its tax reform legislation, The Tax Reform and Jobs Act, and it has been sent to the President to consider. The legislation achieves some laudable things, like doubling the standard deduction, which will help many struggling families avoid tax liability, expanding the use of 529 education plans, and increasing the child tax credit. However, the Act contains a number of problematic provisions that will have dramatic negative consequences, particularly for those most in need. Among other things, the Joint Committee on Taxation indicates that the bill will eventually raise taxes on those with lower incomes while simultaneously cutting taxes for the wealthy. This is clearly problematic, especially for the poor. The repeal of the personal exemption will cause larger families, including many in the middle class, to be financially worse off. The final bill creates a large deficit that, as early as next year, will be used as a basis to cut programs that help the poor and vulnerable toward stability. The legislation is also likely to produce up to a $13 billion drop in annual charitable giving to nonprofits that are relied upon to help those struggling on the margins. This will also significantly diminish the role of civil society in promoting the common good. As the President considers the tax bill before him, we ask that he take into account the full consequences of its provisions and work with Congress to remedy them before signing a tax bill into law."

National Council of Churches: "This tax plan cannot be biblically defended. Words of warning from Holy Scripture serve to remind us that over time those in power who steal from the poor will weaken the body politic and invite chaos. Most certainly, cutting programs the poor depend on, just to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy, is reprehensible. "Oppressing the poor in order to enrich oneself, and giving it to the rich, will lead only to loss (Proverbs 22:16, NRSV)." The National Council of Churches prays our elected leaders heed these ancient words of wisdom which bear witness even today. Our lawmakers have a responsibility to care for the entire citizenry, not just those with the means to influence tax policy."

Leith Anderson, President, National Association of Evangelicals: "What are our next hopes after tax reform? The rich and richer will be generous to the poor and poorer. The Congress will protect children, the disabled, elderly, needy and other vulnerable Americans against future budget cuts. Compassion will be both a liberal and a conservative value."

Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, Co-Chair, National African American Clergy Network: "We are told that corporate profits today are about $2.3 trillion; the stock market is at an all time high and that unemployment is at 4% or nearly full employment. Economists of all political persuasions agree that there is no guarantee that the "trickle down" notion that corporations with lower tax rates will invest in American jobs and spur economic growth. What other reason would there be for taking from the poorer and giving to the richer, who do not need a tax cut except greed? What a shameful and immoral way of snatching milk and bread off the table of low income people just days before Christmas!"

Jim Wallis, President and Founder, Sojourners: "The treatment of the poor and vulnerable is lifted up in the Bible more than 2,000 times. And it is these people, the ones our Scriptures call us to protect and serve, who will be most hurt by the results of this disastrous tax bill. The bill suffers from deeply immoral logic: to blow a hole in the deficit by giving huge tax cuts to the rich and corporations, that will ultimately be paid for by the poor-literally on the backs of their children and their future-is indefensible. This is a shameful hypocrisy, callous calculation, and immoral act. It is an offense to God who hears the cry of the poor. As the book of Isaiah says, "woe to you legislators of unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people." It is the duty and responsibility of the government to give aid to the oppressed and downtrodden, not to siphon wealth away from them to pad the pockets of the rich."

David Beckmann, President, Bread for the World: "This tax bill is part of a 1-2 punch. President Trump and congressional leaders have already announced plans to follow this tax cut, mainly for high-income people, with a big push to cut more than $2 trillion from social programs for low-and middle-income people."

Rev. Dr. Iva E. Carruthers, General Secretary, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference: "This bill will inflict multilayered suffering upon many Americans. It will necessitate the cutting of funds from programs which help America's struggling masses: black and brown people, women, children, the elderly, and the disabled. The bill will also result in an additional 13 million people losing health care . . . Quality of life is not, or should not be, a partisan issue; the lives and needs of American citizens are not Liberal or Conservative, but are, rather, human. This tax "reform" act sets in motion a series of legislative actions that will further rob people - some who are already poor and some close to abject poverty - of the capacity to earn a decent living in this nation. Historically, the country's wealth has been created by the very people who stand to suffer most from this tax "reform" act. The process and passage of this legislation bears the mark of this history. It too has been accomplished out of a spirit of unGodly callousness and greed. There is something deeply wrong with this narrative which points to the very soul of America."

John Ashmen, President, Association of Gospel Rescue Missions: "After passing a historic tax reform bill, it is the hope and prayer of members of the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions, nationwide, that Congress will now engage in an unprecedented, persistent monitoring of the ongoing conditions of our most vulnerable citizens-particularly hungry and homeless individuals and families, and those unable to afford proper medical care. We hope and pray that, as concerned legislators, they will quickly introduce amending measures as soon as they see inequities, and that they do more to protect the religious freedom and gift income of nonprofit organizations that are working so hard to relieve the government's burden."

Commissioner David Hudson, The Salvation Army National Headquarters: "The Salvation Army is able to serve almost 25 million people each year across the United States due to the generosity of fellow Americans and our strong partnership with Federal and State governments. The government has encouraged that generosity by creating a tax code that supports charitable giving. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (S. 1) in its current form will undermine this incentive and increase need. While we appreciate the goal of decreasing taxes and simplifying the tax code, we recognize that this plan does not benefit those in or close to poverty nor organizations like ours who meet human needs in His name without discrimination."

The Episcopal Church: The Episcopal Church is deeply troubled by the passage of this tax bill which places political and corporate interests above the love and care of our neighbors. Over the long term, this legislation will raise taxes on the poor in order to pay for permanent tax cuts for corporations and Americans who can afford to contribute more. Economists agree that this bill will plunge our nation further into debt, and we are concerned that this tax cut will serve to justify future funding cuts for programs that feed the hungry, house the homeless, care for the sick, and provide education for our children. Our Church supports efforts to reduce economic disparities in the United States, and we will vehemently oppose any cuts to programs that help our neighbors meet their most pressing needs. The Bible calls on Christians to care for each other, and we believe that while imperfect, the federal government is one of many necessary and effective tools to care for the poor and vulnerable in this country. We take seriously the understanding of St. John Chrysostom who wrote: "This is the rule of the most perfect Christianity, its most exact definition, its highest point, namely, the seeking of the common good . . . for nothing can so make a person an imitator of Christ as caring for his neighbors."

Rev. Carlos L. Malavé, Executive Director, Christian Churches Together: "Leaders of more than 39 Christian communions in our country have been saying for more than 10 years that our economy and priorities must be reordered. The biblical teaching about God's special concern for the poor demands that any stimulus and economic recovery plan must make the pressing needs of vulnerable and low-income Americans a priority. We must ensure that all families have access to the basic needs of food, health care, and housing. We must correct racial disparities and structural injustices that undermine families, especially in low-income communities. In order to protect and uplift vulnerable families, there must be the right mix of the following: an increase in the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit; a just minimum wage; well funded SNAP program, increased unemployment insurance; and other proven investments that reward work. Based on the call of the Old Testament prophets and the gospel of Jesus, any tax reform legislation that neglects the well being of the poor is unacceptable and fail to reflect our Christian moral principles."

Sister Donna Markham, OP, PhD, President and CEO, Catholic Charities USA: "Throughout the tax reform negotiations CCUSA has urged you to adopt a tax reform proposal which prioritizes individuals working their way out of poverty, fosters family economic stability, promotes a culture of charitable giving and promotes access to affordable housing. . . As it stands, the bill fails to make these investments and provides only small and temporary relief for low-income and working families. CCUSA stands ready to work with you to make these meaningful investments. As you move forward, we urge you to reject efforts to use the deficit created by this bill as a pretext for even greater cuts to programs for low-income communities. Instead we urge you to address the shortcomings in this bill and recommit yourselves to the bipartisan solutions needed to lift people out of poverty." (Letter to Congress, December 19, 2017)

Diane Randall, Executive Secretary, Friends Committee on National Legislation: "Congress' vote to pass such an unconscionable and irresponsible tax bill is gravely disappointing, violating fundamental Quaker values of equality, stewardship and economic security. Nearly every independent analysis shows this bill will leave federal deficits and debt soaring with minimal economic growth or job creation. This will harm tens of millions of people throughout our country, while giving corporations and wealthy individuals excessive benefits. That Congressional leaders are using these self-inflicted deficits to call for cuts and harmful changes to critical programs like Medicaid, SNAP (formerly food stamps), and SSI is nothing short of immoral. These very programs enable struggling families to make ends meet and help parents to provide a better future for their children. Surely, this is the common good that government can and must provide to foster equality, opportunity and a strong society. Members of Congress should search their hearts for what they will do to assure that the tax cuts they give to the wealthy do not require cutting basic assistance and opportunity programs for struggling families."

Rev. Amy E. Reumann, Director, Advocacy, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: "A tax policy that serves the common good will be evaluated by how it prioritizes the health, well-being and the future prospects for those most vulnerable in society. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act fails this test. Lutheran Christians should vigorously make their opinions known to their members of Congress and call for a swift commitment to children, the working poor, those living with disabilities and seniors in 2018."

Rev. Dr. Leslie Copeland-Tune, Director, Ecumenical Poverty Initiative and Ecumenical Advocacy Days: "Congress has again put their own selfish ambition and political power above children, the elderly and the poor. They are ready to do marvelous things for the rich and well off and to further demoralize and vilify the poor and vulnerable ... This tax bill will increase the national deficit by more than $1.5 trillion dollars, while favoring the richest in our nation and corporations on the backs of the poor, the elderly, children and the most vulnerable. It will end health care coverage for 13 million people by removing the individual mandate, destabilizing the market and making health coverage premiums cost prohibitive. In addition, congressional leaders have already made it known that they are driving up the debt so that they can cut safety net programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid-programs that provide support for those who Jesus called 'the least of these.' This is unacceptable and immoral. We will continue to mobilize and stand against any and all efforts to undermine safety net programs and we will have no choice but to remember this legislative malpractice and recklessness disregard of the most vulnerable during the midterm elections next year."

Featured Press Release

What Christian Leaders are Saying About the Tax Bill

Washington, D.C., November 22, 2017 Christian leaders from all the families of U.S. Christianity are concerned that the tax bill being considered in Congress will cause harm to people in poverty. Below are statements from leaders of the Circle of Protection. The statements follow a letter the Circle of Protection sent to members of Congress recently. It reads in part:

"We oppose cutting low-income programs to pay for tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the wealthy. Tax reform must be undertaken in such a way as to strengthen and empower low and moderate-income families and small businesses."

As Christian leaders, the concern is always about how legislation impacts the poor and most vulnerable. We will continue to pray, mobilize, and advocate on behalf of our neighbors in poverty.

Quotes from Circle of Protection leaders:5>

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops: "Because tax policy is far-reaching, Congress must provide ample time for Americans to discuss the complexities of these reforms and fully understand their effects. The current timetable does not provide adequate time for that discussion. In many ways, this legislation is unacceptable in its present form and requires amendment. It must be changed for the sake of families-the bedrock of our country-and for those struggling on the peripheries of society who have a claim on our national conscience."

National Council of Churches: "The tax bills currently before the US Congress are designed to make the rich richer and the poor poorer; and add $1.5 trillion to the national debt. These tax plans cannot be biblically defended. The National Council of Churches reminds us that our lawmakers have a responsibility to care for the entire citizenry, not just those with the means to influence tax policy."

Leith Anderson, President, National Association of Evangelicals: "Doing taxes right is really good. Let's encourage Congress to take the time to get tax reform right-helping the poor and reducing the debt are high biblical priorities. And, providing an above-the-line charitable deduction to all taxpayers will go a long way to keeping America charitable."

Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, Co-Chair, National African American Clergy Network: "The National African American Clergy Network is deeply concerned that historic Republican commitments to reducing deficits are being abandoned in adding $1.5 trillion to the national debt by taking life-sustaining programs from poor and working Americans. We suggest that Congress take the time to shape a bi-partisan tax reform measure that grows the economy by providing education and training for lower skilled and non-skilled workers, thus stabilizing families and communities economically."

Jim Wallis, President and Founder, Sojourners: "The tax code is a moral document, a social contract on how we are going to do our part in sharing our resources with our communities, our neighbors, and those most in need. We are told by Jesus that we will be judged not by our profit margins, our corporate tax rates, or our repeal of healthcare, but how we treat the poor, the sick, and the most vulnerable in society. The tax bill currently under consideration in the Senate fails that moral test on all accounts."

David Beckmann, President, Bread for the World: "The spirit of the season is sharing. But tax cuts for high-income people that are funded with deficit spending will almost certainly lead to deep cuts in Medicaid, SNAP, and other programs that help people living in poverty. The same budget resolution that permits $1.5 trillion in deficit spending for tax cuts outlines more than $2 trillion in cuts to low-income programs."

John Ashmen, President, Association of Gospel Rescue Missions: "By and large, the 300 member organizations in the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions are pleased that the House's tax reform bill and the Senate Finance Committee's proposal provide financial relief for many working Americans and the incentive for new business opportunities. At the same time, we are concerned that outlined cuts to programs like Medicaid and SNAP would cause many of our most vulnerable citizens to join the hundreds of thousands already seeking life-sustaining services at faith-based ministries like rescue missions. Of equal concern is the likelihood that the proposed tax simplification plans-without something like a universal charitable contribution amendment in the final bill-will disincentive giving to nonprofits. The possibility of more people in need and fewer contributions to charities that are making a real difference could bring about a crisis for which the government is not prepared."

Rev. Noel Castellanos, President, Christian Community Development Association: "Christian Community Development Association is an organization of over a thousand ministries across the nation focused on mobilizing residents in under-served neighborhoods to overcome poverty and to restore healthy and vibrant neighborhoods. We are concerned that the tax bill, currently being considered in the Senate, will devastate not only many individuals, but families, and entire communities."

Most Reverend Michael Bruce Curry, Presiding Bishop and Primate, Episcopal Church: "The Episcopal Church supports efforts to reform our tax system and to ensure the ability of the government to pay its bills and deliver the programs and charitable services the people of this nation rely on. The current proposals, developed though partisan backroom negotiations, will result in reduced funding for critical public goods, increased deficits, and leave behind many of the most vulnerable Americans. We encourage Congress to develop bipartisan reforms that will ensure we can fully fund programs that provide for the sick, the hungry, the homeless, and needy as the Gospels command."

Rev. Carlos L. Malavé, Executive Director, Christian Churches Together: "The moral and ethical principles that have guided our country always impelled us to contribute and to sacrifice for the common good. A country where the vast majority claim to be Christian must heed the words of scripture: 'There are always going to be poor and needy people among you. So I command you: Always be generous, open purse and hands, give to your neighbors in trouble, your poor and hurting neighbors.' (Deut. 15:11) A tax reform that falls short of lifting up the poor in the land is an affront against our Creator. God has blessed our country with wealth beyond measure. We call on the U.S. Congress to enact a tax reform that prioritizes and lifts up the poor in our country."

Sister Donna Markham, OP, PhD, President and CEO, Catholic Charities USA: "While we recognize the efforts to simplify the tax code and grow the economy, the proposed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act reduces or eliminates tax programs that are vital to low-income individuals and families and are critical to fostering family economic and opportunity. CCUSA urges Congress to take this opportunity to make meaningful investments so that families are supported, programs helping individuals who are poor or vulnerable are funded, and our nation's faith-based and nonprofit organizations are assisted in their response to community needs." (Letter to Congress, November 7, 2017)

Diane Randall, Executive Secretary, Friends Committee on National Legislation: "The massive tax cuts to the wealthy and large corporations in the current tax reform bill before Congress would increase the deficit by a whopping $1.5 trillion. This giveaway will imperil the long-term fiscal health of our country and undermine future funding for critical programs. This tax reform proposal is being rushed through Congress without full scrutiny by congressional offices or the people of our country whose welfare is directly affected. The people of the United States- low and middle-income households-are looking for opportunity. Sadly, this bill will do more to hurt those families than to help them. When fully implemented, the Senate bill raises taxes on households making less than $75,000, increasing the tax burden for those with incomes between $20,000 and $30,000 by a staggering 25 percent. This bill does not serve those who government should help first. Making the rich get richer at the expense of families struggling just to get by weakens our society and harms people who want government to work for everyone."

Archived Press Release

Christian Leaders Urge Congress to Protect Programs that Help People in Poverty

Washington, D.C., November 2, 2017 - A diverse group of national Christian leaders from across the theological and political spectrum today sent a letter to members of Congress urging them to maintain a "circle of protection" around programs of assistance for people in poverty.

The leaders are concerned, because this fall Congress will make decisions that have far reaching consequences for people living in poverty and working families struggling to make ends meet. Specifically, the Christian leaders are calling on Congress to 1) protect funding for anti-poverty programs in appropriations bills, and 2) protect and support low-income families in any tax legislation.

The Christian leaders belong to the Circle of Protection (CoP), a broad coalition of leaders from all the families of U.S. Christianity. The CoP is working to ensure the vitality of church-sponsored programs serving people in or near poverty in the United States and around the world, while also supporting public sector efforts to alleviate poverty and increase opportunity for all of God's children.

The letter reads in part, "These are biblical and gospel issues for us, not just political or partisan concerns. In Matthew 25 Jesus identified himself with those who are immigrants, poor, sick, homeless and imprisoned, and challenged his followers to welcome and care for them as we would care for Jesus himself. We continue to pray, mobilize, and advocate on behalf of our neighbors in poverty..."

"We are bold enough to imagine news stories about Members of Congress from both parties joining together to support the urgent needs of low-income Americans and life-saving assistance to hungry and poor people around the world-because of the religious faith of those political leaders," the letter adds.

In the letter, the Christian leaders committed to praying for members of Congress as they develop legislation for the nation, especially as the legislation impacts America's most vulnerable citizens and neighbors.
Read the full letter with the complete list of signatories.

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we protect vital programs for people in or near poverty in the united states and around the world.

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Circle of Protection / An Alliance of Christian Leaders Committed to Ending Poverty

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Letter to Church Leaders Poverty-Related Advocacy Issues Now In the name of Jesus Christ, grace and peace to you from our loving God. Since 2011, church leaders from many families of U.S. Christianity have worked together to maintain a Circle of Protection around people struggling with hunger, poverty, and injustice.

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When comprehensive immigration reform failed to pass the Senate in 2007 - and it became apparent there would be no legislative reform in the near term - Chicago's immigrant community wondered what they could do to help one another in light of their increasing, urgent basic human and pastoral needs in the absence of any immigration reform.

In response we developed our immigrant leadership ministries, called the Immigrant Social Ministry (e.g. Pastoral Migratoria and Polish Immigrant-to-Immigrant Ministry), that are empowering Hispanic and Polish immigrant lay leaders through service and justice actions in parishes.

Mission & Objectives
Leadership Formation - Empowerment - Integration
Introduced in 2010, Pastoral Migratoria invites Hispanic immigrants to respond to their baptismal call to be engaged in service and justice actions in their parish communities. Currently, over 200 Hispanic lay leaders (40 Hispanic parishes) are actively participating in Pastoral Migratoria in the Archdiocese of Chicago.

Pastoral Migratoria also responds to the call to evangelize individuals and society. Pastoral Migratoria is grounded in and carries forth the pastoral call of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Latin America (Aparecida, 2007) for the lay faithful to transform society as agents of evangelization and an embodiment of the Church.

Components
Leadership Development & Reflection
Candidates for Pastoral Migratoria participate in a six-week leadership training series based in Catholic social teaching and the listen-learn-proclaim (see-judge-act) methodology. Training leverages a series of formation modules we developed that integrates reflection on Scripture from the immigrant perspective, with reflection and analysis on civic issues facing the immigrant community. Ongoing leadership skills development includes public speaking, conducting meetings, teamwork, organizing workshops and information tables, community organizing, etc. There are also ongoing opportunities for prayer and biblical reflection (e.g. retreats, forums)

After completing their initial training and being commissioned for this ministry, the lay leaders work at the parish level to identify and prioritize the social and pastoral needs of their local community, and respond with service and justice actions.
Justice
The pastoral agents play major roles in advancing immigrant rights and integration by working toward systemic change in society. In support of the Justice for Immigrants' Campaign, they participate in the planning and implementation in their local parishes of advocacy initiatives such as postcard and petition campaigns. They organize prayer vigils, pilgrimages, and congressional visits involving their parish communities. They take leadership roles in the local rollout of new immigration policies such as the Temporary Visitor Driver's Licenses, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, etc.
Service & Accompaniment
The pastoral agents also provide basic human support and accompaniment. They work in collaboration with community organizations and partner institutions to disseminate information through the infrastructure of their parish (e.g. information tables after Masses, Sunday bulletin ads and inserts, verbal announcements at Masses); provide workshops with professionals or experts in a particular area (e.g. immigration, labor rights, housing, domestic violence, financial literacy, etc.); and bring resources to the parish community (e.g. health fair, legal clinic, counseling services) and accompany families who are experiencing detention or deportation.

Immigrant Social Ministry Brochures [Español] [English]

Brochure for Pastoral Migratoria Formation [English]

Map of Parishes with Pastoral Migratoria [Click Here]

Pastoral Migratoria Facebook Page [Click Here]

Polish Immigrant-to-Immigrant Ministry [Click Here]

If you would like to visit the Pastoral Migratoria Spanish Page, please follow this link [Pagina en Español]

"I give thanks to Pastoral Migratoria for helping us to see that we could be true leaders of our community." ~Josè, Pastoral Migratoria, St. Jerome

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Pastoral Migratoria (Hispanic Immigrant Social Ministry)

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When comprehensive immigration reform failed to pass the Senate in 2007 - and it became apparent there would be no legislative reform in the near term - Chicago's immigrant community wondered what they could do to help one another in light of their increasing, urgent basic human and pastoral needs in the absence of any immigration reform.

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June 19, 2018

WASHINGTON-Most Reverend Joe S. Vásquez, of Austin, Texas, Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB/COM) Committee on Migration, sent a letter to every Member of the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday in response to two immigration bills that are expected to be taken up later this week by the full House. Bishop Vasquez had previously written in opposition to the first of the two bills (H.R. 4760), introduced in January of this year. The Bishop's June 18 letter focuses most of its attention on a second, yet-to-be-numbered House Republican Leadership alternative bill.

In his letter to Congress, Bishop Vásquez wrote, "While we truly want a legislative solution for Dreamers, we cannot, in good faith, endorse large structural changes to the immigration system that detrimentally impact families and the vulnerable, such as those that are contained in this legislation. We welcome the opportunity to dialogue with lawmakers and to discuss possible opportunities for further compromise, particularly with respect to effects on families and the vulnerable."

Bishop Vásquez added, "My brother bishops and I appreciate the effort by Representatives to find a legislative solution for Dreamers by bringing immigration measures before the House of Representatives. We believe that any such legislation must be bipartisan, provide Dreamers with a path to citizenship, be pro-family, protect the vulnerable and be respectful of human dignity with regard to border security and enforcement." Bishop Vásquez reminded Members of the House that the Administration can end family separation without legislation through executive discretion.

June 13, 2018

Fort Lauderdale, FL-"At its core, asylum is an instrument to preserve the right to life. The Attorney General's recent decision elicits deep concern because it potentially strips asylum from many women who lack adequate protection. These vulnerable women will now face return to the extreme dangers of domestic violence in their home country. This decision negates decades of precedents that have provided protection to women fleeing domestic violence. Unless overturned, the decision will erode the capacity of asylum to save lives, particularly in cases that involve asylum seekers who are persecuted by private actors. We urge courts and policy makers to respect and enhance, not erode, the potential of our asylum system to preserve and protect the right to life.

Additionally, I join Bishop Joe Vásquez, Chairman of USCCB's Committee on Migration, in condemning the continued use of family separation at the U.S./Mexico border as an implementation of the Administration's zero tolerance policy. Our government has the discretion in our laws to ensure that young children are not separated from their parents and exposed to irreparable harm and trauma. Families are the foundational element of our society and they must be able to stay together. While protecting our borders is important, we can and must do better as a government, and as a society, to find other ways to ensure that safety. Separating babies from their mothers is not the answer and is immoral."

June 1, 2018

The Department of Homeland Security has recently acknowledged implementation of the policy of separating families arriving at the U.S./Mexico Border. Most Reverend Joe S. Vásquez, Bishop of Austin and Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Committee on Migration, issued the following statement in response:

"Forcibly separating children from their mothers and fathers is ineffective to the goals of deterrence and safety and contrary to our Catholic values. Family unity is a cornerstone of our American immigration system and a foundational element of Catholic teaching. 'Children are a gift from the Lord, the fruit of the womb, a reward.' (Psalm 127:3) Children are not instruments of deterrence but a blessing from God.

Rupturing the bond between parent and child causes scientifically-proven trauma that often leads to irreparable emotional scarring. Accordingly, children should always be placed in the least restrictive setting: a safe, family environment, ideally with their own families.

My brother bishops and I understand the need for the security of our borders and country, but separating arriving families at the U.S./Mexico border does not allay security concerns. Children and families will continue to take the enormous risks of migration-including family separation-because the root causes of migration from the Northern Triangle remain: community or state-sanctioned violence, gang recruitment, poverty, and a lack of educational opportunity. Any policies should address these factors first as we seek to repair our broken immigration system."

Introduction. Members of the U.S. Catholic Working Group on the Global Compacts on Refugees and Migration[i] are deeply involved in the care and accompaniment of migrants and forcibly displaced persons at every stage of their journeys. We often work in partnership with the U.S. government, international organizations, and local organizations. Through advocacy and service our work includes fighting against the root causes of migration, providing humanitarian support to forced migrants, especially those in vulnerable situations, and advocating for just reform of national immigration laws in the United States. While we bring a distinct American Catholic experience to our statement, we also echo and build upon the Twenty Points document issued by the Holy See Mission to the United Nations in New York.[ii] We thank the co-facilitators of Mexico and Switzerland for their able leadership in developing the latest draft of the Global Compact on Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration ("Global Compact on Migration").We offer the following principles which we believe should be reflected in the final draft of the Global Compact on Migration.

The Global Compact on Migration should foster the catalytic role of faith-based organizations that provide service to migrants at every stage of their journey. We strongly believe that the Global Compact on Migration should specifically include faith-based organizations as important stakeholders and partners in both the Preamble and the Implementation sections of the document. As has been stated by the Holy See during the negotiations, faith-based organizations are unique because of their presence in sending, transit, and destination countries-at every point of the migration process. Faith-based organizations are universal in nature and thus have a reach beyond that of a single government.

Moreover, faith-based organizations fill gaps in services to migrants which governments are unable or unwilling to fill and work closely with many member states to protect migrants in vulnerable situations. They often build bridges between migrants and the local people. In addition, migrants often are attracted to faith-based groups because they are members of the faith or otherwise trust them to look after their best welfare, including warning them about the potential dangers of the migration journey.

The Global Compact on Migration should highlight increased legal avenues and regularization programs as the primary tools for reducing irregular migration and encourage member states to adopt these tools more aggressively. Consistent with its goal to promote safe, orderly, and regular migration, the Global Compact on Migration should include specific language, in both the preamble and Objective 5, which calls for a significant increase in legal avenues for migrants and regularization programs for migrants residing in their countries.

In most cases, migrants travel in an irregular status because there are insufficient visas available for them to migrate in a legal manner. Once they have navigated an arduous and dangerous journey, they fill low-skilled jobs in many economies, yet remain susceptible to exploitation and abuse in the workplace. Legal avenues, which should include the option for permanent residency, should be increased to protect their lives, their human rights and the integrity of their family.

Migrants who reside in a country often live in fear of deportation, despite equities they may have built-families, businesses, homes-over time. Family separation, in which parents are deported away from their citizen children, is a real threat. Regularization programs bring immigrants and their families into society, thus increasing their economic contributions, preserving family unity, and aiding national security, as governments would know who they are and more effectively integrate them into society.

In our view, the Global Compact on Migration should increase legal immigration as a method for reducing irregular migration, as opposed to using enforcement and methods of deterrence to accomplish this goal. Not only is it the most humanitarian way to respond to the challenge of irregular migration, it also is the most effective and sustainable.

Border management should ensure that migrants receive due process protections and should not deploy deterrence schemes to halt large movements of migrants and refugees. More and more, destination nations, sometimes in conjunction with transit nations, are using deterrence tactics to prevent large mixed movements of persons from reaching their borders, including the use of interdiction and return, detention, family separation, push backs, criminal prosecution of irregular migration, the closing of borders, and conditional aid agreements, among other tactics. These formal and informal arrangements among nations can prevent migrants in vulnerable situations and even refugees from receiving protection and in some cases entail returning vulnerable individuals to harm.

Objective 11 of the Global Compact on Migration should prohibit the use of these tactics and encourage responsibility-sharing among member states that ensures that migrants and refugees are screened by a competent and independent authority, and, if necessary, offered protection, by either a transit nation or other nations in a region. In addition, language should be restored in the draft that encourages member states to promote screening of asylum-seekers, including informing migrants of their rights to apply for asylum protection.

Migrants, regardless of their legal status, should be guaranteed certain services, consistent with their human rights and international law. Human persons, regardless of legal status, possess God-given human rights that should not be violated, including the right to life, and thus should be provided services necessary to protect those rights, including health-care, social services, access to justice, education, and pastoral services. Such services should be specified in the Global Compact on Migration, so that member states have a common understanding of this requirement. In providing these services to undocumented persons or to persons in a temporary legal status, firewalls should exist to prevent personal information from being used for enforcement purposes.

Migrants in vulnerable situations should receive protection. Perhaps the most difficult issue to address between the Global Compact on Migration and the Global Compact on Refugees is the issue of migrants in vulnerable situations. This group may include persons fleeing natural disaster or the effect of climate change; migrants in countries in crisis; migrants who may not achieve refugee protection or asylum but nevertheless have legitimate protection claims and could face harm upon their return; victims of human trafficking or forms of domestic violence; and inherently vulnerable migrants, such as unaccompanied children, the elderly, or the disabled.

These groups may not meet the refugee definition laid out in international refugee law, but nevertheless face danger and possible harm in their home countries. Member states should increase the legal tools available to them to address these populations, including humanitarian visas, temporary protected status, and visas targeted toward specific groups, such as victims of human trafficking, victims of domestic violence, and unaccompanied alien children. Protection consistent with international human rights law should be afforded them.

Return of migrants to their countries of origin should uphold the principle of non-refoulement and when return is proper should include re-integration programs which offer them comprehensive re-integration services. Just as countries of origin have an obligation to their nationals to receive them, destination countries should follow international law in assessing their status, informing them of their rights in the process, and, as the law requires, either allowing them to remain or returning them to their homes. We oppose policies which deny due process to migrants seeking protection, as well as tactics that pressure them to acquiesce to deportation without due process. Non-refoulement should govern the return policies of all nations.

Safeguarding the integrity of the family is crucial when people are subjected to detention and deportation processes. Humane alternatives to detention and defenses to removal based on family unity should be available in lieu of detention and deportation. In cases where family members are detained and/or returned, systems should be established to track their locations and to inform family members.

Moreover, re-integration programs should be created in countries of origin that assist returnees with job training and placement, access to social services, and physical security, so they are able to remain and live in safety and dignity. Destination countries should provide assistance to source countries in creating these programs.

The root causes of migration should be comprehensively addressed, so that migration is a choice, not a necessity.Migration and development are intrinsically linked, as remittances are a primary resource for development efforts. The Global Compact on Migration should facilitate remittances by lessening fees and fostering financial inclusion. Remittances should not be a substitute for global support for sustainable economic development in developing nations.

Finally, we urge the creation of a well-financed capacity-building framework that facilitates the actionable commitments of the Global Compact on Migration, as well as a monitoring system that holds member states accountable in implementing them. While the Global Compact on Migration may be legally non-binding, it should be politically binding, so that good faith efforts are made by all member states in reaching its goals and achieving a positive impact on migrants around the world.
To view a PDF of this document, click here
[i]The working group includes Catholic Charities-USA, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), U.S. Liaison Office of the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC), Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States, Jesuit Refugee Services/USA (JRS-USA), Scalabrini International Migration Network (SIMN), and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Migration and Refugee Services (USCCB/MRS).

[ii] "Responding to Refugees and Migrants: Twenty Action Points," Migrants & Refugee Section, Dicastery on Integral Human Development, Vatican, 2017. A summary of the document is also in a video featuring Pope Francis. See "Let's welcome, protect, promote and integrate refugees as Pope Francis is asking us," Migration & Refugee Section, Dicastery of Integral Human Development, Vatican, January 18, 2018, video available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDlxrIY96ak

April 25, 2018

Dear Representative,

I write on on behalf of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Migration (USCCB/COM) to urge you to support and co-sponsor H.R. 4796, the "Uniting and Securing America (USA) Act of 2018," as it is written. This legislation, which in part provides critical protections from deportation for "Dreamers" qualifying immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, was introduced by Representatives Hurd (R-TX) and Aguilar (D-CA) and is currently cosponsored by an equal bipartisan group of Republicans and Democrats.

The U.S. Catholic Bishops have long supported Dreamers, recognizing that they are contributors to our economy, academic standouts in our universities, veterans of our military, and leaders in our parishes. These youths have grown up in our country and know America as their only home. They truly exemplify the extraordinary contributions that immigrants can provide to our nation when they are permitted to reach their God-given potential.

The USA Act would provide qualifying Dreamers with protection from deportation, as well as a path to citizenship. Additionally, the USA Act of 2018: (1) augments border security at the U.S./Mexico border, in part through deployment of new technology and development of a strategic plan; (2) increases the number of immigration judges and Board of Immigration Appeals staff attorneys; and (3) seeks to address root causes and prevent future irregular migration by conditioning aid to Central America to prevent corruption.

While a larger solution is still needed to fix our broken immigration system, we urge Congress to first focus on passing H.R. 4796, as written, or similar bipartisan and narrowly-tailored legislation. Any legislation passed should provide Dreamers with a path to citizenship, not undermine our family-based immigration system or terminate existing protections for vulnerable migrants, and ensure that border security measures are just, proportionate, and humane.

It is both our moral duty and in our nation's best interest to protect Dreamers. We hope that you will stand with us in supporting these valuable members of our communities and co-sponsor the USA Act.

Most Rev. Joe S. Vásquez. USCCB Committee on Migration
Click here for a PDF version of the Letter

April 11, 2018

WASHINGTON-The U.S. Catholic Bishops of the southern border issued a statement on April 6, 2018, regarding their deep concern over the Administration's decision to deploy the National Guard at the U.S./Mexico border. Bishop Joe Vásquez, Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration, today issued the following statement in support of the Southern Border Bishops and in response to the Administration's recent actions:

"On behalf of the USCCB Committee on Migration, I fully affirm the concerns voiced by the U.S. Bishops of the southern border regarding the presence of the National Guard at the U.S./Mexico border. Current law entitles those fleeing persecution and arriving in our country to due-process as their claims are reviewed. As the border bishops state: 'Seeking refuge from persecution and violence in search of a peaceful life for oneself and one's family is not a crime.' Our faith calls us to respond with compassion to those who suffer and seek safe haven; we ask our government to do the same as it seeks to safely and humanely secure the border."

WASHINGTON-Late last week, the Senate failed to achieve the 60 votes needed to move forward with debate on legislation to provide relief to Dreamers. Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, USCCB President; Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, USCCB Vice President; and Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of Austin, Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration, together issued the following statement:

"We are deeply disappointed that the Senate was not able to come together in a bipartisan manner to secure legislative protection for the Dreamers. With the March 5 th deadline looming, we ask once again that Members of Congress show the leadership necessary to find a just and humane solution for these young people, who daily face mounting anxiety and uncertainty.

"We are also announcing a National Catholic Call-In Day to Protect Dreamers. This coming weekend, we will be asking the faithful across the nation to call their Members of Congress next Monday, February 26, to protect Dreamers from deportation, to provide them a path to citizenship, and to avoid any damage to existing protections for families and unaccompanied minors in the process.

"Our faith compels us to stand with the vulnerable, including our immigrant brothers and sisters. We have done so continually, but we must show our support and solidarity now in a special way. Now is the time for action."

WASHINGTON-In response to the White House framework on immigration released on January 26 th, Most Reverend Joe S. Vásquez, Bishop of Austin, and Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration, stated the following:

"We welcome the Administration's proposal to include a path to citizenship for Dreamers. However, the proposed cuts to family immigration and elimination of protections to unaccompanied children are deeply troubling. Family immigration is part of the bedrock of our country and of our Church. Pope Francis states: 'the family is the foundation of co-existence and a remedy against social fragmentation.' Upholding and protecting the family unit, regardless of its national origins, is vital to our faith. Additionally, in searching for a solution for Dreamers, we must not turn our backs on the vulnerable. We should not, for example, barter the well-being of unaccompanied children for the well-being of the Dreamers. We know them all to be children of God who need our compassion and mercy.

We urge a bipartisan solution forward that is narrowly-tailored. Time is of the essence. Every day we experience the human consequences of delayed action in the form of young people losing their livelihood and their hope. As pastors and leaders of the Church, we see this fear and sadness in our parishes and as such, continue to call for immediate action. Elected officials must show leadership to quickly enact legislation that provides for our security and is humane, proportionate and just."

The following statement has been issued by James Rogers, Chief Communications Officer for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), emphasizing the USCCB position that all human beings are made in the image and likeness of God and therefore deserving of our respect and compassion.

"Reports of recent disparaging remarks about African countries and Haiti have aroused great concern. As our brothers and sisters from these countries are primarily people of color, these alleged remarks are especially disturbing. All human beings are made in the image and likeness of God, and comments that denigrate nations and peoples violate that fundamental truth and cause real pain to our neighbors. It is regrettable that this comes on the eve of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and could distract from the urgent bipartisan effort to help Dreamers and those with Temporary Protected Status. As a vigorous debate continues over the future of immigration, we must always be sure to avoid language that can dehumanize our brothers and sisters."

January 8, 2018

WASHINGTON - On January 8th, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it is terminating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for El Salvador. TPS is a temporary, renewable, and statutorily authorized humanitarian migration program that permits individuals to remain and work lawfully in the U.S. during a period in which it is deemed unsafe for nationals of that country to return home. The vast majority of TPS recipients in the U.S. are Salvadoran.

Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of Austin, Texas, Chairman of the Committee on Migration (USCCB/COM), issued the following statement:

"The decision to terminate TPS for El Salvador is heartbreaking. As detailed in our recent delegation trip report to the region, El Salvador is currently not in a position to adequately handle the return of the roughly 200,000 Salvadoran TPS recipients. Today's decision will fragment American families, leaving over 192,000 U.S. citizen children of Salvadoran TPS recipients with uncertain futures. Families will be needlessly separated because of this decision.

We believe that God has called us to care for the foreigner and the marginalized: 'So you too should love the resident alien, for that is what you were in the land of Egypt' (Deut. 10:19). Our nation must not turn its back on TPS recipients and their families; they too are children of God.

DHS has provided an 18-month period (through September 9, 2019) during which TPS recipients from El Salvador can legally stay in the United States and prepare for their departure. While we recognize and appreciate this extra time, it will not remedy the underlying protection and family unity concerns that remain for Salvadoran TPS recipients.

We renew our call to Congress to work in a bipartisan manner to find a legislative solution for long-term TPS recipients, and we stand ready to support such efforts. TPS recipients are an integral part of our communities, churches, and nation. Without action by Congress, however, recipients' lives will be upended and many families will be devastated. As with DACA, we strongly urge Congressional members and leadership to come together and address this issue as soon as possible.

To Salvadoran TPS recipients, we promise to continue to stand in solidarity with you and pray for you and your families, and all those who are displaced or forced to flee from their homes."

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Statements Archives - Justice for Immigrants

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June 19, 2018 WASHINGTON-Most Reverend Joe S. Vásquez, of Austin, Texas, Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB/COM) Committee on Migration, sent a letter to every Member of the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday in response to two immigration bills that are expected to be taken up later this week by the full House.

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Distinctly Catholic | National Catholic Reporter Jump to navigation Columns › Michael Sean Winters analyzes the worlds of religion and politics and the always fascinating estuary where the two collide. Distinctly Catholic: Mendacity has long been a feature of public and especially political life; this week, however, has been a banner week for big institutional lies, partisan lying, and self-serving claims from the stump that are demonstrably impossible.

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NOGALES, Ariz. - Their short pilgrimage across desert sands stopped where it had to stop, at the 20-foot high security fence that separates Nogales from Mexico. And there Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley and eight other American Catholic bishops did what priests and bishops always do - they said Mass.

But this was different. Their uncommon congregation had gathered on both sides of the fence, about 500 on the United States, 100 or so south of the border. They came together at the emotional crest of the service, with communion wafers passed through the fence to the eager hands reaching north - the direction of hope and, for far too many immigrant border crossers, O'Malley said, danger and death.

"The desert is lined with the unmarked graves of thousands,'' O'Malley said during the service Tuesday morning. Summoning the memory of the estimated 6,000 people who have perished trying to make the crossing during the last 15 years, he called it long past time for comprehensive immigration reform.

"We are here today to say they are not forgotten," O'Malley told the gathering.

The bishops meant their outing to evoke the example Pope Francis, who traveled last July to the Italian island of Lampedusa, a point of arrival for migrants from Africa and the Middle East seeking to reach Europe. The pontiff blasted a "globalization of indifference" to immigrants that day and placed a wreath in the sea for 20,000 people who have died attempting to make their way across the Mediterranean.

In that spirit, O'Malley took a walk through the Arizona desert, tracing the migrant trial followed by people trying to enter the United States. He then led eight prelates who make up the US bishops' Committee on Migration in laying a wreath at the border in remembrance of those many lives lost.

O'Malley, who speaks fluent Spanish and has a long history of outreach to Latino immigrants, told the Globe the bishops want a reform featuring a path to citizenship. In the meantime, he said, they're calling for a halt to what they describe as an "inhumane deportation and detention system" that often splits families.

The Boston prelate said he regards the defense of immigrants as a priority for the Catholic church tantamount to its fight against abortion.

"This is another pro-life issue," O'Malley told the Globe. He said doesn't believe any Catholic who takes church teachings seriously can "support the status quo" on immigration policy.

The three-day trip to the border provided O'Malley and the other bishops an education in the realities of life as an undocumented migrant.

On Monday, the bishops visited a soup kitchen and center for recently deported migrants called the "Kino Border Initiative," located in Mexico just across the border from Nogales. Named for a 17th-century Jesuit saint who was a missionary in the area, it's jointly run by members of the Jesuit order in the United States and Mexico, as well as a Mexican community of nuns called the Missionary Sisters of the Eucharist.

During an afternoon meal, bishops served plates of rice, beans, and salad to roughly 60 migrants, including a mix of Mexicans and Central Americans, and then sat at tables to hear their stories.

A volunteer who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution explained that criminal gangs who prey on immigrants operate more or less openly in the area.

"In the hills right over there, they've got 12- and 14-year-old kids with walkie-talkies," he said, pointing across the street from the soup kitchen. "They'll spot a group of six migrants walking to the border and call it in, and then goons will show up demanding these people give up their money, their cellphones, whatever they have."

The volunteer said that despite the risks, his time working with deported migrants "is the best church I've ever been in."

"For me, this is what it means to do Eucharist," he said, referring to the Catholic Mass. "These people live lives of horrible mistreatment and abuse, but for one hour every day here, they're all together and they're safe."

The bishops also met a small group of female deportees, who agreed to tell their stories on the condition they not be identified. They were residing in a women's shelter run by the Kino Border Initiative.

One Mexican woman said she had lived in Phoenix for 40 years, originally crossing the border with her young daughter after a coyote - a paid border guide - abandoned them because they couldn't walk fast enough. She eventually returned to Mexico to visit family members, she said, and was arrested and deported attempting to renter the United States to be reunited with her daughter.

The six weeks she spent in a detention center, she said, were "the worst time of my life."

A Honduran woman told a harrowing tale of fleeing her country because a man she had been seeing threatened to kill both her and her 10-year-old daughter. After making sure her daughter was safe in a boarding school, she said, she headed for the United States because her mother lives there.

She said she had been kidnapped and held for ransom along with a cousin who was pregnant, and, while they managed to escape, the cousin only got as far as Mexico City before pregnancy and deteriorating health prevented her from going further. The Honduran said she later avoided being raped by falsely claiming to have stomach pains related to pregnancy but said that a man in their party was taken away, never to be seen again.

Despite it all, she said she still plans to make it to America.

"With God's help, I want to get across the border to help my mom," she said.

The bishops also met with an advocacy group called the Border Justice Collective, dedicated to reining in what they see as excessive use of force by US Border Patrol agents. The group included relatives of a 16-year-old Mexican teen named Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez, who was shot to death in October 2012.

"We need someone with more power than we have to go to the [US authorities] and say this has to stop," said Gabriela Lopez, an aunt of the slain teen. "We want justice."

During a press conference held after the Tuesday Mass, a 13-year-old girl named Fatima Rojas interrupted the bishops' presentation and asked to be heard. Wiping away tears, she said her 20-year-old sister Rosy has been detained at a center in Eloy, Ariz., for six months, and she pled for help from the bishops in getting her released.

Such experiences, according to O'Malley, are why the Catholic church regards immigration reform as a moral priority.

"We have to rescue this issue from politics," O'Malley said. "This isn't about statistics or policy, it's about people."

John L. Allen Jr. is a Globe associate editor, covering global Catholicism. He may be reached at john.allen@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @ JohnLAllenJr and on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/ JohnLAllenJr.

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O'Malley preaches support for immigrants at US border - The Boston Globe

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Their short pilgrimage across desert sands stopped where it had to stop, at the 20-foot high security fence that separates Nogales, Ariz., from Mexico. And there Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley and eight other American Catholic bishops did what priests and bishops always do - they said Mass. But this was different.

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Hallelujah!

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NOGALES, Ariz. - Their short pilgrimage across desert sands stopped where it had to stop, at the 20-foot high security fence that separates Nogales from Mexico. And there Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley and eight other American Catholic bishops did what priests and bishops always do - they said Mass.

But this was different. Their uncommon congregation had gathered on both sides of the fence, about 500 on the United States, 100 or so south of the border. They came together at the emotional crest of the service, with communion wafers passed through the fence to the eager hands reaching north - the direction of hope and, for far too many immigrant border crossers, O'Malley said, danger and death.

"The desert is lined with the unmarked graves of thousands,'' O'Malley said during the service Tuesday morning. Summoning the memory of the estimated 6,000 people who have perished trying to make the crossing during the last 15 years, he called it long past time for comprehensive immigration reform.

"We are here today to say they are not forgotten," O'Malley told the gathering.

The bishops meant their outing to evoke the example Pope Francis, who traveled last July to the Italian island of Lampedusa, a point of arrival for migrants from Africa and the Middle East seeking to reach Europe. The pontiff blasted a "globalization of indifference" to immigrants that day and placed a wreath in the sea for 20,000 people who have died attempting to make their way across the Mediterranean.

In that spirit, O'Malley took a walk through the Arizona desert, tracing the migrant trial followed by people trying to enter the United States. He then led eight prelates who make up the US bishops' Committee on Migration in laying a wreath at the border in remembrance of those many lives lost.

O'Malley, who speaks fluent Spanish and has a long history of outreach to Latino immigrants, told the Globe the bishops want a reform featuring a path to citizenship. In the meantime, he said, they're calling for a halt to what they describe as an "inhumane deportation and detention system" that often splits families.

The Boston prelate said he regards the defense of immigrants as a priority for the Catholic church tantamount to its fight against abortion.

"This is another pro-life issue," O'Malley told the Globe. He said doesn't believe any Catholic who takes church teachings seriously can "support the status quo" on immigration policy.

The three-day trip to the border provided O'Malley and the other bishops an education in the realities of life as an undocumented migrant.

On Monday, the bishops visited a soup kitchen and center for recently deported migrants called the "Kino Border Initiative," located in Mexico just across the border from Nogales. Named for a 17th-century Jesuit saint who was a missionary in the area, it's jointly run by members of the Jesuit order in the United States and Mexico, as well as a Mexican community of nuns called the Missionary Sisters of the Eucharist.

During an afternoon meal, bishops served plates of rice, beans, and salad to roughly 60 migrants, including a mix of Mexicans and Central Americans, and then sat at tables to hear their stories.

A volunteer who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution explained that criminal gangs who prey on immigrants operate more or less openly in the area.

"In the hills right over there, they've got 12- and 14-year-old kids with walkie-talkies," he said, pointing across the street from the soup kitchen. "They'll spot a group of six migrants walking to the border and call it in, and then goons will show up demanding these people give up their money, their cellphones, whatever they have."

The volunteer said that despite the risks, his time working with deported migrants "is the best church I've ever been in."

"For me, this is what it means to do Eucharist," he said, referring to the Catholic Mass. "These people live lives of horrible mistreatment and abuse, but for one hour every day here, they're all together and they're safe."

The bishops also met a small group of female deportees, who agreed to tell their stories on the condition they not be identified. They were residing in a women's shelter run by the Kino Border Initiative.

One Mexican woman said she had lived in Phoenix for 40 years, originally crossing the border with her young daughter after a coyote - a paid border guide - abandoned them because they couldn't walk fast enough. She eventually returned to Mexico to visit family members, she said, and was arrested and deported attempting to renter the United States to be reunited with her daughter.

The six weeks she spent in a detention center, she said, were "the worst time of my life."

A Honduran woman told a harrowing tale of fleeing her country because a man she had been seeing threatened to kill both her and her 10-year-old daughter. After making sure her daughter was safe in a boarding school, she said, she headed for the United States because her mother lives there.

She said she had been kidnapped and held for ransom along with a cousin who was pregnant, and, while they managed to escape, the cousin only got as far as Mexico City before pregnancy and deteriorating health prevented her from going further. The Honduran said she later avoided being raped by falsely claiming to have stomach pains related to pregnancy but said that a man in their party was taken away, never to be seen again.

Despite it all, she said she still plans to make it to America.

"With God's help, I want to get across the border to help my mom," she said.

The bishops also met with an advocacy group called the Border Justice Collective, dedicated to reining in what they see as excessive use of force by US Border Patrol agents. The group included relatives of a 16-year-old Mexican teen named Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez, who was shot to death in October 2012.

"We need someone with more power than we have to go to the [US authorities] and say this has to stop," said Gabriela Lopez, an aunt of the slain teen. "We want justice."

During a press conference held after the Tuesday Mass, a 13-year-old girl named Fatima Rojas interrupted the bishops' presentation and asked to be heard. Wiping away tears, she said her 20-year-old sister Rosy has been detained at a center in Eloy, Ariz., for six months, and she pled for help from the bishops in getting her released.

Such experiences, according to O'Malley, are why the Catholic church regards immigration reform as a moral priority.

"We have to rescue this issue from politics," O'Malley said. "This isn't about statistics or policy, it's about people."

John L. Allen Jr. is a Globe associate editor, covering global Catholicism. He may be reached at john.allen@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @ JohnLAllenJr and on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/ JohnLAllenJr.

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O'Malley preaches support for immigrants at US border - The Boston Globe

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Their short pilgrimage across desert sands stopped where it had to stop, at the 20-foot high security fence that separates Nogales, Ariz., from Mexico. And there Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley and eight other American Catholic bishops did what priests and bishops always do - they said Mass. But this was different.

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The Vision of Catholic Social Thought traces the emergence of solidarity and human rights as critical theological and philosophical pillars of the anthropology and ethics foundational to the development of Catholic social teaching. Meghan J. Clark argues that the integration of human rights and the virtue of solidarity at the root of the Catholic social tradition are the unique contributions Catholic thought makes to contemporary debates in ethics, political, and philosophical theory.

Building upon the historical framework of the development of Catholic social thought, drawing deeply from the papal encyclical tradition and the theological and ethical developments of Vatican II, Clark forwards a constructive vision of virtue and social practice, applying this critical question of human rights on the international stage.

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The Vision of Catholic Social Thought: The Virtue of Solidarity and the Praxis of Human Rights

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The Vision of Catholic Social Thought traces the emergence of solidarity and human rights as critical theological and philosophical pillars of the anthropology and ethics foundational to the development of Catholic social teaching. Meghan J.

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Nobel prize winning book about the disaster

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A quote from Pope Francis:

"Education cannot be neutral. It is either positive or negative; either it enriches or it impoverishes; either it enables a person to grow or it lessens, even corrupts him. The mission of schools is to develop a sense of truth, of what is good and beautiful. And this occurs through a rich path made up of many ingredients. This is why there are so many subjects - because development is the results of different elements that act together and stimulate intelligence, knowledge, the emotions, the body, and so on."

"If something is true, it is good and beautiful; if it is beautiful; it is good and true; if it is good, it is true and it is beautiful. And together, these elements enable us to grow and help us to love life, even when we are not well, even in the midst of many problems. True education enables us to love life and opens us to the fullness of life."

-- Address with Italian school teachers, parents, educators, pupils and other workers, May 10, 2014

Editor's note: We can send you a biweekly email alert with content from The Francis Chronicles. Follow the directions on our email alert signup page.

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A quote from Pope Francis: "Education cannot be neutral. It is either positive or negative; either it enriches or it impoverishes; either it enables a person to grow or it lessens, even corrupts him. The mission of schools is to develop a sense of truth, of what is good and beautiful.

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A superficial review of Laudato Si' could lead the reader to think that Pope Francis is a Luddite. He has very critical things to say about technology, especially when it is connected to greed.

The goal of technology, he argues, should not be to increasingly replace human work with machines in order to save money and make more profit. Like Pope John Paul II, Francis holds work in high esteem. "Work is a necessity, part of the meaning of life on this earth, a path to growth, human development and personal fulfilment."

But Francis begins his examination of technology by acknowledging in chapter 3 of his encyclical that we are the beneficiaries of two centuries of technological advances. "Technology has remedied countless evils that used to harm and limit human beings," he writes. But he notes that the power that comes from technology can be used by those with knowledge and economic resources to dominate humanity and the entire world.

"We need but think of the nuclear bombs dropped in the middle of the twentieth century," he explains, "or the array of technology which Nazism, Communism and other totalitarian regimes have employed to kill millions of people, to say nothing of the increasingly deadly arsenal of weapons available for modern warfare."

Quoting Romano Guardini, he notes that there is a tendency to believe that every increase in power means "an increase of 'progress' itself" but in reality "contemporary man has not been trained to use power well." Sadly, Pope Francis argues, "our immense technological development has not been accompanied by a development in human responsibility, values and conscience."

Francis is especially critical of an undifferentiated and one-dimensional technocratic paradigm where the world (including human beings and material objects) is seen as something formless, completely open to manipulation. The goal is to extract everything possible from things while ignoring the reality in front of us.

This leads economists, financiers and experts in technology to accept the idea of unlimited growth "based on the lie that there is an infinite supply of the earth's goods, and this leads to the planet being squeezed dry beyond every limit."

In short, Francis does not think that technological products are neutral. Rather "they create a framework which ends up conditioning lifestyles and shaping social possibilities along the lines dictated by the interests of certain powerful groups."

Francis saves his harshest words for economic interests who "accept every advance in technology with a view to profit, without concern for its potentially negative impact on human beings." They show "no interest in more balanced levels of production, a better distribution of wealth, concern for the environment and the rights of future generations. Their behavior shows that for them maximizing profits is enough."

In Francis' mind, this is the cause of our current economic and environmental crisis. What is needed is a broader vision where "technology is directed primarily to resolving people's concrete problems, truly helping them live with more dignity and less suffering." Technology must serve humanity, not the market.

"Nobody is suggesting a return to the Stone Age," he affirms, "but we do need to slow down and look at reality in a different way, to appropriate the positive and sustainable progress which has been made, but also to recover the values and the great goals swept away by our unrestrained delusions of grandeur."

"Once the human being declares independence from reality and behaves with absolute dominion, the very foundations of our life begin to crumble," Francis believes. Rather than being a cooperator with God in the work of creation, quoting John Paul II he says, "man sets himself up in place of God and thus ends up provoking a rebellion on the part of nature."

For Francis, "the present ecological crisis is one small sign of the ethical, cultural and spiritual crisis of modernity." Humanity "cannot presume to heal our relationship with nature and the environment without healing all fundamental human relationships" including our relationships with others and God.

At the heart of this crisis of modernity is a culture of relativism, but Francis, unlike his predecessors, believes that "practical relativism typical of our age is even more dangerous than doctrinal relativism." In practical relativism, human beings "place themselves at the center" and "give absolute priority to immediate convenience and all else becomes relative."

He is not surprised to see the culture of relativism, "which sees everything as irrelevant unless it serves one's own immediate interests," going hand and hand with "the omnipresent technocratic paradigm and the cult of unlimited human power."

The result is "the mindset of those who say: Let us allow the invisible forces of the market to regulate the economy, and consider their impact on society and nature as collateral damage." He condemns the "use and throw away" logic that "generates so much waste, because of the disordered desire to consume more than what is really necessary."

In the later chapters of Laudato Si' he will lay out his response to the environmental crisis, but even in chapter three he shows his support for an economy that favors productive diversity and small scale producers. "For example, there is a great variety of small-scale food production systems which feed the greater part of the world's peoples, using a modest amount of land and producing less waste, be it in small agricultural parcels, in orchards and gardens, hunting and wild harvesting or local fishing."

But he recognizes that small farmers and producers are threatened by economies of scale and by the difficulty they face in linking to regional and global markets because the infrastructure for sales and transport is geared to larger businesses.

He calls for government support of such small producers. "To ensure economic freedom from which all can effectively benefit," he asserts, "restraints occasionally have to be imposed on those possessing greater resources and financial power." He finds calls for "economic freedom" to be bogus when "real conditions bar many people from actual access to it."

One might think that Francis is anti-business, but in fact he thinks "Business is a noble vocation, directed to producing wealth and improving our world. It can be a fruitful source of prosperity for the areas in which it operates, especially if it sees the creation of jobs as an essential part of its service to the common good."

Francis' words about domineering technology, a single-minded focus on profit, and practical relativism are prophetic and challenging. They fly in the face of many American cultural presuppositions. Pope Francis does not believe that technology and the market will magically provide the solution to social and environmental issues, rather they are part of the problem.

On the other hand, he believes that technology can and should be used to improve the lot of humanity and that business people are called to a noble vocation that is in service to the common good.

This is the third of a series of columns on the chapters of Laudato Si'. The first chapter was examined in "Pope Francis: 'Facts are more important than ideas.'" The second chapter was examined in "Revelation and creation: respecting and sharing God's gift​."

[Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese is a senior analyst for NCR and author of Inside the Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church. His email address is treesesj@ncronline.org. Follow him on Twitter: @ThomasReeseSJ.]

Editor's note: We can send you an email alert every time Thomas Reese's column, Faith and Justice, is posted. Go to this page and follow directions: Email alert sign-up.
Like what you're reading? Learn more about our eBook collection of Thomas Reese's writings on the encyclical: Caring for Our Common Home: A Readers' Guide and Commentary on Pope Francis' Encyclical on the Environment.

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Pope Francis: Technology + greed = disaster

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A superficial review of Laudato Si' could lead the reader to think that Pope Francis is a Luddite. He has very critical things to say about technology, especially when it is connected to greed. The goal of technology, he argues, should not be to increasingly replace human work with machines in order to save money and make more profit.

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Pope Francis' revolutionary new encyclical calls for a "broad cultural revolution" to confront the environmental crisis. "Laudato Si" is also quite lengthy. Can it be summarized? In other words, what are the main messages, or "takeaways" of this encyclical?

1) The spiritual perspective is now part of the discussion on the environment.

The greatest contribution of "Laudato Si" to the environmental dialogue is, to my mind, its systematic overview of the crisis from a religious point of view. Until now, the environmental dialogue has been framed mainly with political, scientific and economic language. With this new encyclical, the language of faith enters the discussion-clearly, decisively and systematically. This does not mean that Pope Francis is imposing his beliefs on those concerned about the environment. "I am well aware," he says, that not all are believers (No. 62). Nonetheless, the encyclical firmly grounds the discussion in a spiritual perspective and invites others to listen to a religious point of view, particularly its understanding of creation as a holy and precious gift from God to be reverenced by all men and women. But the pope also hopes to offer "ample motivation" to Christians and other believers "to care for nature" (No. 64). This does also not mean that other popes (and other parts of the church) have not spoken about the crisis-Francis highlights the teachings of his predecessors, particularly St. John Paul II and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. But in its systematic spiritual approach, this is a groundbreaking document that expands the conversation by inviting believers into the dialogue and providing fresh insights for those already involved.

2) The poor are disproportionately affected by climate change.

The disproportionate effect of environmental change on the poor and on the developing world is highlighted in almost every section of the encyclical. Indeed, near the beginning of "Laudato Si," the pope states that focus on the poor is one the central themes of the encyclical, and he provides many baneful examples of the effects of climate change, whose "worse impacts" are felt by those living in the developing countries. This is not simply the result of the power of the rich to make decisions that do not take the poor into account, but because the poor themselves have fewer financial resources that enable them to adapt to climate change. Additionally, the natural resources of those poorer countries "fuel" the development of the richer countries "at the cost of their own present and future" (No. 52). Throughout the encyclical, the pope appeals to the Gospels, to Catholic social teaching and to the statements of recent popes to critique the exclusion of anyone from benefits of the goods of creation. Overall, in decisions regarding the environment and the use of the earth's common resources, he repeatedly calls for an appreciation of the "immense dignity of the poor" (No. 158).

Pope Francis takes aim at what he calls the "technocratic" mindset, in which technology is seen as the "principal key" to human existence (No. 110). He critiques an unthinking reliance on market forces, in which every technological, scientific or industrial advancement is embraced before considering how it will affect the environment and "without concern for its potential negative impact on human beings" (No. 109). This is not the view of a Luddite-in fact, Francis goes out of his way to praise technological advances-but of a believer who resists the idea that every increase in technology is good for the earth and for humanity. "Laudato Si" also diagnoses a society of "extreme consumerism" in which people are unable to resist what the market places before them, the earth is despoiled and billions are left impoverished (No. 203). That is why it is the time, he says, to accept "decreased growth in some part of the world, in order to provide recourse for other places to experience healthy growth" (No. 193). In contrast with the consumerist mindset, Christian spirituality offers a growth marked by "moderation and the capacity to be happy with little" (No. 222). It is a matter of nothing less than a redefinition of our notion of progress.

4) Catholic social teaching now includes teaching on the environment.

Against those who argue that a papal encyclical on the environment has no real authority, Pope Francis explicitly states that "Laudato Si" "is now added to the body of the Church's social teaching" (No. 15). By the way, an encyclical is a type of teaching that enjoys the highest level of authority in the church, second only to the Gospels and church councils like Vatican II. As such, it continues the kind of reflection on modern-day problems that began with Leo XIII's "Rerum Novarum," on capital and labor, in 1891. Pope Francis uses some of the traditional foundations of Catholic Social Teaching, particularly the idea of the "common good," to frame his discussion. In keeping with the practices of Catholic social teaching, the pope combines the riches of the church's theology with the findings of experts in a variety of fields, to reflect on modern-day problems. To that end, he explicitly links St. John XXIII's "Pacem in Terris," which addressed the crisis of nuclear war, with "Laudato Si," which addresses this newer crisis.

5) Discussions about ecology can be grounded in the Bible and church tradition.

Wisely, Pope Francis begins the encyclical not with a reflection on Scripture and tradition (the two pillars of Catholic teaching), which might tempt nonbelievers to set aside the letter, but with an overview of the crisis-including issues of water, biodiversity and so on. Only in Chapter Two does he turn towards "The Gospel of Creation," in which he leads readers, step by step, through the call to care for creation that extends as far back as the Book of Genesis, when humankind was called to "till and keep" the earth. But we have done, to summarize his approach, too much tilling and not enough keeping. In a masterful overview, Pope Francis traces the theme of love for creation through both the Old and New Testaments. He reminds us, for example, that God, in Jesus Christ, became not only human, but part of the natural world. Moreover, Jesus himself appreciated the natural world, as is evident in the Gospel passages in which he praises creation. The insights of the saints are also recalled, most especially St. Francis of Assisi, the spiritual lodestar of the document. In addition to helping nonbelievers understand the Scripture and the church's traditions, he explicitly tries to inspire believers to care for nature and the environment.

6) Everything is connected- including the economy.

One of the greatest contributions of "Laudato Si" is that it offers what theologians call a "systematic" approach to an issue. First, he links all of us to creation: "We are part of nature, included in it, and thus in constant interaction with it" (No. 139). But our decisions, particularly about production and consumption, have an inevitable effect on the environment. Pope Francis links a "magical conception of the market," which privileges profit over the impact on the poor, with the abuse of the environment (No. 190). Needless to say, a heedless pursuit of money that sets aside the interests of the marginalized and leads to the ruination of the planet are connected. Early on, he points to St. Francis of Assisi, who shows how "inseparable the bond is between concern for nature, justice for the poor, commitment to society and interior peace" (No. 10). Far from offering a naïve condemnation of capitalism, Pope Francis provides an intelligent critique of the limits of the market, especially where it fails to provide for the poor. "Profit," he says, "cannot be the sole criterion" of our decisions (No. 187).
7) Scientific research on the environment is to be praised and used.
Pope Francis does not try to "prove" anything about climate change in this document. He frankly admits that the church does not "presume to settle scientific questions" (No. 188). And while he clearly states that there are disputes over current science, his encyclical accepts the "best scientific research available today" and builds on it, rather than entering into a specialist's debate (No. 15). Speaking of the great forests of the Amazon and Congo, and of glaciers and aquifers, for example, he simply says, " We know how important these are for the earth..." (No. 38: my italics.) As the other great Catholic social encyclicals analyzed such questions as capitalism, unions and fair wages, "Laudato Si" draws upon both church teaching and contemporary findings from other fields-particularly science, in this case-to help modern-day people reflect on these questions.
8) Widespread indifference and selfishness worsen environmental problems.
Pope Francis reserves his strongest criticism for the wealthy who ignore the problem of climate change, and especially its effect on the poor. "Many of those who possess more resources seem mostly to be concerned with masking the problems or concealing their symptoms..." (No. 26). Why, he asks, are so many of the wealthy turning away from the poor? Not only because "some view themselves as more worthy than others," but because frequently decisions makers are "far removed from the poor," physically, with no real contact to their brothers and sisters (No. 90, 49). Selfishness also leads to the evaporation of the notion of the common good. This affects not simply those in the developing world, but also in the inner cities of our more developed countries, where he calls for what might be termed an "urban ecology." In the world of "Laudato Si" there is no room for selfishness or indifference. One cannot care for the rest of nature "if our hearts lack tenderness, compassion and concern for our fellow human beings" (No. 91).

9) Global dialogue and solidarity are needed.

Perhaps more than any encyclical, Pope Francis draws from the experiences of people around the world, using the insights of bishops' conferences from Brazil, New Zealand, Southern Africa, Bolivia, Portugal, Germany, Argentina, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, Australia and the United States, among other places. (In this way, he also embodies the Catholic principle of subsidiarity, which, in part, looks to local experience and local solutions.) Moreover, the "new dialogue" and "honest debate" he calls for is not simply one within the Catholic Church (No. 14, 16). Patriarch Bartholomew, the leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church, enters into the encyclical, as does a Sufi poet. In fact, the pope calls into dialogue and debate "all people" about our "common home" (No. 62, 155). A global dialogue is also needed because there are "no uniform recipes." What works in one region may not in another (No. 180). The encyclical's worldwide scope (as opposed to a more Eurocentric cast) makes it an easier invitation for a worldwide community.
10) A change of heart is required
At heart, this document, addressed to "every person on the planet" is a call for a new way of looking at things, a "bold cultural revolution" (No. 3, 114). We face an urgent crisis, when, thanks to our actions, the earth has begun to look more and more like, in Francis' vivid language, "an immense pile of filth" (No. 21). Still, the document is hopeful, reminding us that because God is with us, we can strive both individually and corporately to change course. We can awaken our hearts and move towards an "ecological conversion" in which we see the intimate connection between God and all beings, and more readily listen to the "cry of the earth and the cry of the poor" (No. 49).

To use religious language, what the pope is calling for is conversion.

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Pope Francis' revolutionary new encyclical calls for a "broad cultural revolution" to confront the environmental crisis. "Laudato Si" is also quite lengthy. Can it be summarized? In other words, what are the main messages, or "takeaways" of this encyclical? 1) The spiritual perspective is now part of the discussion on the environment.

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Bishop Stephen E. Blaire, Bishop of Stockton
Chairman, Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
September 2, 2013

Every human being enjoys a basic right to be respected, not because of any title, position, prestige, or accomplishment but first of all because we are created in the image and likeness of God. From an ethical and moral perspective we embrace the exhortation of St. Paul " to anticipate one another in showing honor" (Rom 12:10). Today's competitive culture challenges us to strive for victory and advantage, but for St. Paul the challenge is to build each other up and honor one another's innate dignity.

Labor Day is an opportunity to take stock of the ways workers are honored and respected. Earlier this year, Pope Francis pointed out, "Work is fundamental to the dignity of a person. . . . It gives one the ability to maintain oneself, one's family, to contribute to the growth of one's own nation." Unfortunately, millions of workers today are denied this honor and respect as a result of unemployment, underemployment, unjust wages, wage theft, abuse, and exploitation.

Even with new indicators of some modest progress in recovery, the economy still has not improved the standard of living for many people, especially for the poor and the working poor, many of whom are unemployed or underemployed. More than four million people have been jobless for over six months, and that does not include the millions more who have simply lost hope. For every available job, there are often five unemployed and underemployed people actively vying for it. This jobs gap pushes wages down. Half of the jobs in this country pay less than $27,000 per year. More than 46 million people live in poverty, including 16 million children. The economy is not creating an adequate number of jobs that allow workers to provide for themselves and their families. Jobs, wages, and poverty are interrelated. The only way to reduce the widening gap between the affluent and the poorest people in our nation is by creating quality jobs that provide a just compensation that enables workers to live in the dignity appropriate for themselves and their families.
Growing Inequality Hurts Families and Communities
High unemployment and underemployment are connected to the rise in income inequality. The prophetic words of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in Caritas in Veritate warn us of the dangers of inequality:

The dignity of the individual and the demands of justice require, particularly today, that economic choices do not cause disparities in wealth to increase in an excessive and morally unacceptable manner, and that we continue to prioritize the goal of access to steady employment for everyone. . . . Through the systemic increase of social inequality . . . not only does social cohesion suffer, thereby placing democracy at risk, but so too does the economy, through the progressive erosion of "social capital" . . . indispensable for any form of civil coexistence. (no. 32)

Is it possible that this is happening here in the United States? In many places, wealth and basic needs are separated by only a few blocks or subway stops. We only have to look under bridges and in alleyways. The words from Gaudium et Spes (no. 63) from the Second Vatican Council of fifty years ago seem to be just as true today: "While an immense number of people still lack the absolute necessities of life, some, even in less advanced areas, live in luxury or squander wealth." How can it be said that persons honor one another when such "extravagance and wretchedness exist side by side"?
Who Do We Hope to Be As a Nation?
Most people want to live in a more equal society that provides opportunities for growth and development. The current imbalances are not inevitable, but demand boldness in promoting a just economy that reduces inequality by creating jobs that pay a living wage and share with workers some profits of the company. It also requires ensuring a strong safety net for jobless workers and their families and those who are incapable of work. As individuals and families, as the Church, as community organizations, as businesses, as government, we all have a responsibility to promote the dignity of work and to honor workers' rights.

Since the end of the Civil War, unions have been an important part of our economy because they provide protections for workers and more importantly a way for workers to participate in company decisions that affect them. Catholic teaching has consistently affirmed the right of workers to choose to form a union. The rise in income inequality has mirrored a decline in union membership. Unions, like all human institutions, are imperfect, and they must continue to reform themselves so they stay focused on the important issues of living wages and appropriate benefits, raising the minimum wage, stopping wage theft, standing up for safe and healthy working conditions, and other issues that promote the common good. The Church, in accord with her principles on the life and dignity of the human person, wishes to collaborate with unions in securing the rights and dignity of workers.

Private enterprises, at their best, create decent jobs, contribute to the common good, and pay just wages. Ethical and moral business leaders know that it is wrong to chase profits and success at the expense of workers' dignity. They know that they have a vocation to build the kind of solidarity that honors the worker and the least among us. They remember that the economy is "for people." They know that great harm results when they separate their faith or human values from their work as business leaders.

Whenever possible we should support businesses and enterprises that protect human life and dignity, pay just wages, and protect workers' rights. We should support immigration policies that bring immigrant workers out of the shadows to a legal status and offer them a just and fair path to citizenship, so that their human rights are protected and the wages for all workers rise.

We honor the immigrant worker by remembering that the building of America has been carried out by so many who fled persecution, violence, and poverty elsewhere, coming to America to offer their talents and gifts to support themselves and their families. We welcome the stranger, the refugee, the migrant, and the marginalized, because they are children of God and it is our duty to do so. But at the same time it is important to end the political, social, and economic conditions that drive people from their homelands and families. Solidarity calls us to honor workers in our own communities and around the world.

The pain of the poor and those becoming poor in the rising economic inequality of our society is mounting. Therefore, on this Labor Day 2013, let us renew our commitment to promote the dignity of the human person through work that is honorable, pays just wages, and recognizes the God-given dignity of the working person.

At the end of Mass we are commanded "Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord." We leave with a sense of mission to show one another honor by what we do and say. On this Labor Day our mission takes us to the millions of people who continue to suffer the effects of the current economy.

Resouces

For parish resources, check out this Labor Day Supplemental Aid.
Catholic Social Teaching on Labor: A Primer Primer on Poverty, an Option for the Poor, and the Common Good
Income Inequality - A Catholic Concern
Here's an interactive video resource on income inequality in the United States and the Church's response.

Wage Theft Comics: Crime and Justice is an activist comic that both chronicles the experience of low wage victims of wage theft and guides workers and potential allies towards a path for justice.

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Bishop Stephen E. Blaire, Bishop of Stockton Chairman, Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development United States Conference of Catholic Bishops September 2, 2013 Every human being enjoys a basic right to be respected, not because of any title, position, prestige, or accomplishment but first of all because we are created in the image and likeness of God.

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'How many poor people there still are in the world! And what great suffering they have to endure!" With these words the new pope explained to international diplomats assembled at the Vatican on March 22 why he chose the name Francis at the moment of his election. And since then Pope Francis has unswervingly pointed to the scandal of poverty in a world of plenty as a piercing moral challenge for the church and the whole human community.

In part, the pope's message has called us to personal conversion, speaking powerfully to each of us about how we let patterns of materialism captivate our lives and distort our humanity. In a disarming way, Francis seeks to make us all deeply uncomfortable, so that in our discomfort we may recognize and confront the alienation from our own humanity that occurs when we seek happiness in objects rather than in relationship with God and others.

Francis' message also has been an invitation to cultural conversion, laying bare the three false cultures that materialism has created in our world: the culture of comfort that makes us think only of ourselves; the culture of waste that seizes the gifts of the created order only to savor them for a moment and then discard them; and the culture of indifference that desensitizes us to the suffering of others, no matter how intense, no matter how sustained. Pope Francis' words about the "globalization of indifference" echo the poignant observation of Pope Benedict in his encyclical "Charity in Truth" (2009): "As society becomes ever more globalized, it makes us neighbors but does not make us brothers."

And finally, the pope's message has been one of structural reform in the world. In June Francis explained: "A way has to be found to enable everyone to benefit from the fruits of the earth, and not simply to close the gap between the affluent and those who must be satisfied with the crumbs falling from the table." Francis has made clear that the present economic slowdown cannot be an excuse for inaction. Rather, there must immediately commence "a new stimulus to international activity on behalf of the poor, inspired by something more than mere goodwill, or, worse, promises which all too often have not been kept."

Both the substance and methodology of Pope Francis' teachings on the rights of the poor have enormous implications for the culture and politics of the United States and for the church in this country. These teachings demand a transformation of the existing Catholic political conversation in our nation, a transformation reflecting three themes: prioritizing the issue of poverty, focusing not only on intrinsic evils but also on structural sin, and acting with prudence when applying Catholic moral principles to specific legal enactments.

Prioritize Poverty

The depth of the moral responsibility of the United States to fight global poverty arises from the tremendous power that our country exerts in the world economy. More than any other nation, the United States has the capacity to influence trading relationships, the availability of capital and market conditions. If Francis' vision of a world with truly just trading and financial structures is to be realized, then the United States and Europe must take a leading role in reforming the existing rules that so often victimize incipient markets in staggeringly poor countries.

In addition, the United States and the richest nations of the world community have a moral responsibility to share from their plenty with the poorest peoples in the human family. In 2002 the wealthy nations of the world pledged to direct 0.7 percent of their gross domestic product toward the alleviation of dire poverty by the year 2015. This level of investment would largely eliminate severe poverty on the planet. However, the United States and most of the other leading economic powers have reneged on their commitment; today the United States only gives 0.2 percent of its gross domestic product in development assistance. As a result, millions of children die each year from disease and malnutrition that could be prevented. This is social sin, arising from individual decisions. This is the visible presence of a "global culture of indifference" that lets us avert our eyes while our governments consciously make choices to reinforce our culture of comfort while ignoring the countless human lives lost as a consequence.

Within the United States, we also turn our eyes away from the growing domestic inequality that ruins lives and breaks spirits. Pope Francis speaks directly to this: "While the income of a minority is increasing exponentially, that of the majority is crumbling. This imbalance results from ideologies which uphold the absolute autonomy of markets and financial speculation, and thus deny the right of control to States, which are themselves charged with providing for the common good." The United States, which for so much of its great history has stood for economic mobility and a broad, comfortable middle class, now reflects gross disparities in income and wealth and barriers to mobility. The poor suffer a "benign neglect" in our political conversations, and absorb brutal cuts in governmental aid, especially at the state level.

If the Catholic Church is truly to be a "church for the poor" in the United States, it must elevate the issue of poverty to the very top of its political agenda, establishing poverty alongside abortion as the pre-eminent moral issues the Catholic community pursues at this moment in our nation's history. Both abortion and poverty countenance the deaths of millions of children in a world where government action could end the slaughter. Both abortion and poverty, each in its own way and to its own degree, constitute an assault on the very core of the dignity of the human person, instrumentalizing life as part of a throwaway culture. The cry of the unborn and the cry of the poor must be at the core of Catholic political conversation in the coming years because these realities dwarf other threats to human life and dignity that confront us today.

Structural Sin

Another part of the needed transformation in Catholic political conversation is a renewed focus on structural sin. In pursuing many vital elements of the common good, structural sin is actually more relevant than sins of intrinsic evil.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines the common good as "the sum total of social conditions which allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfillment fully and more easily." There are three elements in the common good: respect for the fundamental and inalienable rights of the human person, the social well being and development of society, and the stability and security of a just order. The common good is primarily accomplished by the variety of social institutions-family, religious communities, economic enterprises, labor unions and service organizations-that lie outside of government. But a crucial element of the common good falls to government for its realization. John Courtney Murray, S.J., called this element "the public order."

The mission of the Catholic community within the public order in the United States is to move in a comprehensive way to focus government on the enhancement of human rights, the development of society and social peace. Part of that movement must address issues of intrinsic evil-acts that can never be justified regardless of intentions and circumstances-like murder, genocide, abortion, euthanasia, racism, torture, suicide and slavery.

Intrinsically evil acts are always and everywhere wrong, but not all intrinsically evil acts fall within the scope of the public order and the role of government. Intrinsically evil acts like adultery and blasphemy are always wrong, but they do not lie within the jurisdiction of government. Some intrinsically evil acts, like racism, lie partly within the scope of government and partly outside. Racial discrimination in housing or unemployment must be legally proscribed, but contemptible racism expressed in private conversation generally should not. Finally, there are acts of intrinsic evil so grave and so contrary to the role of law in society that opposition to them is absolutely central to the Catholic mission of seeking the common good. Abortion and euthanasia are such issues because they involve the most fundamental duty of government to prevent the taking of innocent human life.

It is crucial to fully recognize the nature of intrinsic evil and its relationship to the common good. In recent years, however, some arguments have been broadly advanced in Catholic political conversation proposing that issues pertaining to intrinsically evil acts automatically have priority in the public order over all other issues of grave evil, like poverty, war, unjust immigration laws and the lack of restorative justice in the criminal justice system. This has the effect of labeling these other crucial issues of Catholic social teaching "optional" in the minds of many Catholics.

The statements of Pope Francis on poverty demonstrate why issues of intrinsic evil do not automatically have priority in advancing the common good. The category of intrinsic evil is vital in identifying the exceptionless evil inherent in certain types of actions. Poverty, however, is not a one-time action. It is the result of countless specific human actions with varying degrees of responsibility that give rise to social structures and practices imbued with selfishness and evil. The category of intrinsic evil cannot capture the type of entrenched evil inherent in poverty. Yet Francis clearly teaches that alleviating the grave evil of poverty must be at the very heart of the church's mission. It is neither optional nor secondary.

Like war, the exploitation of undocumented immigrants and our distorted system of criminal justice, poverty is a structural sin rooted in the very life of society and government. Structural sin constitutes the effect of personal sins that collectively create social situations and institutions fundamentally opposed to divine goodness.

Pope Francis attested poignantly to the reality and the impersonality of structural sin when he visited Lampedusa, where hundreds of undocumented immigrants died in a shipwreck while seeking a new life in Italy. "Who is responsible for the blood of these brothers and sisters of ours?" Francis asked. "Nobody! That is our answer. It isn't me; I don't have anything to do with it; it must be someone else, but certainly not me. Yet God is asking each of us: 'Where is the blood of your brother that cries out to me?'"

Some essential elements for advancing the common good pertain to opposing intrinsically evil acts. Some pertain to issues of structural sin. And others, as "The Splendor of Truth" (1993) reminds us, fall under the category of accomplishing great goods, like the profoundly beautiful vision of social solidarity advanced by Pope John Paul II or the pioneering reflections on stewardship and creation that Pope Benedict XVI brought to the world. There is no single category of sin or evil, social good or virtue, that is the filter for discerning the priorities of the church in the public order. The concept of the common good is multidimensional in its very nature, and any reductionist effort to minimize this quality is a distortion of our heritage and teaching.

Role of Prudence

The role of prudence has been one of the most misused elements in the Catholic political conversation in the United States in recent years. It is frequently asserted, particularly in election years, that issues pertaining to intrinsic evils do not necessitate prudential judgment, while other grave evils like war, poverty or the unjust treatment of immigrants are merely prudentially laden issues on which people of good will can disagree.

The truth is that prudence is a necessary element of any effort to advance the common good through governmental action. Moving from even the clearest moral principle to specific legislation or administrative action involves questions of strategy, prioritization and practicality. Even then, no law or program can ever encapsulate the clarity and fullness of the original moral principle.

Consider the issue of abortion, which represents probably the least complex application of clear and compelling Catholic moral principle to law. It is clear that Catholic teaching demands robust and effective legal sanctions against abortion. But should the law criminalize abortion for the mother or for those performing the abortion? Alternatively, should there be noncriminal sanctions? What is the best pathway to outlawing abortion: a series of graduated proposals beginning with parental notification and prohibitions on late-term abortion, or an immediate full court press for comprehensive prohibitions? These are questions on which people of good will can disagree in full accord with Catholic teaching, since all of these approaches seek to achieve the core principle that the law should protect the life of the unborn. Thus this is wholly different from the candidate who refuses to vote for any legal restrictions on abortion and argues that he is in fact doing more to reduce abortions by his support for aid to the poor and health care programs. Such a candidate has rejected the core substance contained in the Catholic teaching on abortion and civil law.

So it is with the issue of poverty. The core teaching of the church on the role of government in combating poverty declares that in addition to promoting conditions that provide meaningful jobs for their citizens, nations must provide a humane threshold of income, health benefits and housing. Just as important, as Pope Francis has repeatedly taught, wealthy nations must work ardently to reduce gross inequalities of wealth within their borders and beyond. Accomplishing these goals requires a series of complex prudential decisions about financial structures, incentives for wealth creation and income support programs that enhance rather than undermine family life. Many different types of choices are compatible within a full commitment to Catholic teachings on economic justice.

But choices by citizens or public officials that systematically, and therefore unjustly, decrease governmental financial support for the poor clearly reject core Catholic teachings on poverty and economic justice. Policy decisions that reduce development assistance to the poorest countries reject core Catholic teachings. Tax policies that increase rather than decrease inequalities reject core Catholic teachings. The nature and tone of Pope Francis' declarations on poverty and evil in the world powerfully convey that while prudence is necessary in the formulation of economically just policies, the categorical nature of Catholic teaching on economic justice is clear and binding.

The teachings of Pope Francis on "a church for the poor" not only speak to the centrality of addressing poverty as an imperative for Catholics in the public order, but also call us to look anew at the nature of the common good in society and how we seek to achieve it. We are called to see the issues of abortion and poverty, marriage and immigrant rights, euthanasia and war, religious liberty and restorative justice, not as competing alternatives often set within a partisan framework, but as a complementary continuum of life and dignity. We are called to create a Catholic political conversation that proclaims the greatest problems of our day can only be solved with a vision rooted in the transcendent dignity of the human person. For in the end, the very purpose of Catholic political conversations is to help our nation see human suffering and human striving not through the lens of politics but as God sees them.

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Pope Francis makes addressing poverty essential

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'How many poor people there still are in the world! And what great suffering they have to endure!" With these words the new pope explained to international diplomats assembled at the Vatican on March 22 why he chose the name Francis at the moment of his election.

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As Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Bergoglio recorded a video for the national meeting of Caritas Argentina in 2009 in which he explained the consequences for those who "opt for the poor." The archbishop said that when you insert yourself into their reality, "your own lifestyle changes. You cannot afford luxuries that before you used to have...."

Archbishop Bergoglio understood that to truly know the poor and value their culture one must have a personal connection with them. His connection with the sufferings of the people in the villas miserias -the city slums of Buenos Aires-had evangelized him, teaching him that when disconnected from real experiences of meeting, praying and breaking bread with the poor, concepts about God lack transcendence and relevance.

The "bishop of the slums" is now the bishop of Rome and is calling for the entire church to likewise be evangelized by a deeper encounter with the poor. This vision of a "poor church for the poor" is best understood in the context of the Latin American theology that shaped Jorge Bergoglio and that Pope Francis is incorporating into the teaching of the universal church.

The Place of Encounter

In Latin American theology, popular religiosity is defined as the appropriation of religious beliefs by common people. It is also called popular piety, referring to the way poor people live their religion in contrast with official religiosity and rites.

Although the issue of culture was already present at the Second Vatican Council, that of popular religiosity was not, nor was that of liberation as part of the function of evangelization itself. These two notions were assumed by the magisterium through the Latin American bishops at the Third General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops held in 1974 under the banner "evangelization in the modern world." At that gathering, bishops from around the world considered the topic of liberation as a function proper to the church's work of evangelization in each culture. Pope Paul VI incorporated the conclusions of the synod into the formulation of the apostolic exhortation "Evangelii Nuntiandi" in 1975.

In 1985, while rector of the Colegio Máximo de San José in Buenos Aires, then-Father Bergoglio organized the First Congress on Evangelization of Culture and Inculturation of the Gospel. In his keynote address, the archbishop highlighted the importance of the church coming close to the lived experience, or life-world, of the people to generate evangelizing processes capable of impelling social change. His proposal assumed that popular religiosity is the privileged place for getting to know how the poor and common people think and live.

Pope Francis' apostolic exhortation "The Joy of the Gospel" (2013) builds upon these insights. Drawing on the document of the Fifth General Conference of the Bishops of Latin American and the Caribbean in Aparecida in 2007, the pope recognizes the "popular spirituality" or "people's mysticism" embodied in everyday expressions of Christian faith as a real locus theologicus capable of evangelizing all people in all places (Nos. 122-26).

Francis' proposal brings together two lines of thought and action. The first is the evangelization of culture through knowledge of and contact with the popular religiosity of peoples. The second is a liberating pastoral activity driven by a preferential option for poor peoples aimed at promoting social and ecclesial changes, while denouncing all those structures and ways of living-social, economic and ecclesial-that dehumanize by turning people into mere disposable objects.

The Evangelization of Cultures

In Pope Francis' vision of the church, "the People of God is incarnate in the peoples of the earth" (No. 115). The church must be at the service of each particular people so as to promote its liberation from any internal dependence or external influence, whether political, economic or ideological. The aim is to avoid falling into the temptation of homogenizing the faithful or treating them as a mass with no life or history. To know and serve people implies knowing their origins, their particular way of being and thinking and respecting the fact that "each people is the creator of their own culture and the protagonist of their own history" (No. 122).

With "The Joy of the Gospel" Francis proposes to follow this roadmap and makes clear a theological-pastoral approach inspired by his social, ecclesial and theological experience in Latin America. He thereby introduces into the universal magisterium a notion that comes from Latin American theology, specifically the Argentine theology of the people, namely popular mysticism. The mysticism lived and learned in the popular cultures-especially the experience of poor people-becomes a new center and source of theological reflection (No. 126).

This entails a shift in the present way of being church because it assumes that the most appropriate place of church presence-both pastoral and academic-is in the midst of the poor, serving them and being committed to their struggles and hopes, from the various positions in which we may find ourselves working in the society. That is how the ecclesiastical institution, in everything it is and does, is called to let itself be evangelized by the human disposition that pours forth from the popular mystique, for "the genius of each people receives in its own way the entire Gospel and embodies it in expressions of prayer, fraternity, justice, struggle and celebration" (No. 237).

These are the ways that the poor and lowly relate to God, not only in their own individual needs but in their common vicissitudes or yearnings. These ways of living life can evangelize our fragmented societies and dysfunctional families; they can open our hearts and minds to a wider and healthier understanding of reality, while connecting our lives and works with the sufferings and the hopes of the majority of humankind.

Following the Aparecida document, "The Joy of the Gospel" retrieves the place of popular religiosity in the understanding of this sincere and simple faith that permeates the entire life of the Christian. In the popular mystique we find the Gospel inculturated under this permanent desire to discern the passage of the spirit in the midst of dramas that surround us and that seem impossible to resolve. All these expressions or manifestations-prayer, fraternity, justice, struggle, celebrations-become necessary theological loci for the evangelization of cultures and the scholarly understanding of them; they are not simply worship practices but an intimate experience which overflows into solidarity and need for social justice, a way of living one's situation in terms of the hope that springs from an intimate and trusting relationship with God. In other words, it identifies the believer's daily expressions of faith with the suffering Christ, crucified and powerless, but ever on the way toward a better future.

The incorporation of the notion of popular mystique into the universal magisterium through "The Joy of the Gospel" has major ethical implications for ways of life and thinking beyond Latin America. It does not mean that the world of Latin American popular life becomes a paradigm for other cultures. Rather, primacy is granted to the life-world of the poorest in any society, because they are the ethical mediation and the site for reading from the standpoint of God-that is, in the light of God's merciful gaze-the reality of the contemporary world, its hopes and its shortcomings. But this primacy can be understood only when Christians insert themselves into the popular world of the poor people of their particular societies.

Theology for the People

Latin American theology of the people assumes that reflection on the inculturation of the Gospel is not a problem reserved for pastoral specialists. There is no room for an academic theology that is not connected to the situation of real persons, their daily sufferings and the way they endure hardships out of their faith. Francis' magisterial reflection comes from this theological-pastoral approach and not from an abstract idea of doctrine that comes before the encounter with the other. Thus, as Francis said last September at a Mass in Havana's Plaza de la Revolución, "Service is never ideological, since it is not ideas that are served, but persons" (9/20/15).

Otherwise, evangelization and the magisterium itself would run the risk of becoming instruments for instilling doctrine. Lacking this mysticism of living together, theologians would become corporate executives of an abstract knowledge without any saving impact. And the people, especially the poor, would be used for different purposes, from scholarly to business, but would not assume their rightful twofold condition of: 1) being agents of their own history and future and 2) being a critical hermeneutical place of interpretation and confrontation of the Gospel message and the Christian way of life.

The notion of "the people" situates us before the shocking fact of inequality, which is not merely economic disparity in our world but, as St. John Paul II wrote, the existence of different worlds-the first world, second world and third world-"within our one world" ("On Social Concerns," No. 14). These worlds are ruled by a deplorable imperialist mentality that seeks only to homogenize and impose a single criterion and way of doing things.

This has given rise to new subcultures of poverty characterized by the adaptation and normalization of an exacerbated individualism that creates "people" without any possibilities to live a humane present nor a promising future, people lacking the possibility to have possibilities, in Pope Francis' words, "masses of people excluded and marginalized: without work, without possibilities, without any means of escape" ("The Joy of the Gospel," No. 53).

Dire poverty, inequality and the idolatry of money in and between these worlds are facts that can be overcome if we work for the common good and take up the preferential option for the poor. Hence the church is called to become "a poor church for the poor," to take up the path of encounter and humanization, having as a paradigm the way in which people relate in the popular culture. There exists a mystique of living well that translates into humanizing relations. Pope Francis described this experience in a speech in Bolivia, on July 9, 2015, as...

attachment to the neighborhood, the land, one's work, the work association. This recognizing oneself in the face of the other, this closeness of everyday life, with its miseries, because they do exist, we have them and their daily heroism. This is what makes it possible to exercise the commandment of love, not on the basis of ideas and concepts but on the basis of the genuine encounter between persons. We need to establish this culture of encounter because neither concepts nor ideas love; it is persons who love.

The religious mystique that springs from the popular culture is the hermeneutical locus par excellence, which makes it possible to overcome the barriers separating popular from academic theology, or the faith of the poor, who live in the midst of the vicissitudes of everyday life, from the ecclesiastical institution and its official liturgy. It makes it possible, moreover, to understand that the evangelization of cultures proceeds by way of inserting oneself-both personally and institutionally-into the life-world of those on the margins and working for the integral liberation of all in this globalized world. It means expanding our relationships and moving out of our comfort zone. As Francis states in the letter he wrote to Cardinal Aurelio Poli for the 100th anniversary of the Catholic University of Argentina:

Do not be satisfied with an office theology. May your reflection be done on the borders.... Good theologians, like good shepherds, smell like people and the street, and with their thinking, pour ointment and wine into the wounds of people.

Correction: April 29, 2016
An earlier version of this article stated incorrectly, "In 1985...then-Archbishop Bergoglio." Pope Francis was not named archbishop until 1998.

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Pope Francis' theology begins with the people's faith.

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As Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Bergoglio recorded a video for the national meeting of Caritas Argentina in 2009 in which he explained the consequences for those who "opt for the poor." The archbishop said that when you insert yourself into their reality, "your own lifestyle changes.

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Oscar Romero

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Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez (15 August 1917 - 24 March 1980) was a prelate of the Catholic Church in El Salvador, who served as the fourth Archbishop of San Salvador. He spoke out against poverty, social injustice, assassinations, and torture. In 1980, Romero was assassinated while offering Mass in the chapel of the Hospital of Divine Providence.

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When writing English we use the 26 letters of the alphabet.

Spoken English has more than 26 sounds though. There are roughly 44 different sounds. therefore it's not very easy only to use the letters of the alphabet to show the pronunciation of English.

There is a system which uses a group of symbols. Some of these symbols look the same as letters and some are very different.

You can use these symbols to write out the pronunciation of words and in many dictionaries for English learners you will see the pronunciation written out.

To show that what is written are sounds and not letters the transcriptions are written between slashes, / /.

For example, the pronunciation of the word 'pet' is written:/pet/.

In this example the sound symbols look exactly the same as the letters. You can only tell we are talking about pronunciation rather than spelling because of the/ /.

However, some words look very different when you see their pronunciation.

is the word 'church'.

This is why it is very useful to learn the symbols. You can't usually match the letters in a word to the sounds of the word. Also, because most dictionaries for English learners use these symbols you can work out the pronunciation of any word in the dictionary without a teacher!

Sorry, you can't see the video for this topic :-(

However, you can download it to play on your computer.

To see the video in the page you need to enable JavaScript in your browser's preferences.

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BBC Learning English | Pronunciation Tips

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Follow this Flash and audio based course to improve your pronunciation of key contrasting sounds in English.

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About the chart

Pure vowels are arranged the same way as in the IPA chart: according to mouth shape (left to right, lips wide / round - top to bottom, jaw closed / open).

Diphthongs are grouped in rows according to their second sound.

Try some pronunciation activities

Downloads

You can download a non-interactive image version of the British Council's phonemic chart below.

Sounds Right app

The interactive phonemic chart is available for you to download from the Google Play store for Android devices or the App store for Apple devices. Find out more about the interactive mobile app version of the phonemic chart

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About the chart Pure vowels are arranged the same way as in the IPA chart: according to mouth shape (left to right, lips wide / round - top to bottom, jaw closed / open). Diphthongs are grouped in rows according to their second sound. Try some pronunciation activities Telephone number pronunciation What's the pronunciation?

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Labor rights invocation

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Building Trades National Legislative Conference

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"There Was a Time In This Country..." -- Reverend Kiley Delivers Labor's Invocation

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At the 2011 Building Trades National Legislative Conference, Reverend Cletus Kiley delivers the invocation. The passionate appeal to workers rights and social justice nationwide set the tone for the day.

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Together for the common people PDF

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Together for the common people (video)

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T4CG CONFERENCE SEPT 2013 (3) Keynote: Dr Anna Rowlands

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Keynote address for the Together for the Common Good conference. Dr Anna Rowlands. Download text here: http://togetherforthecommongood.co.uk/conference/t4cg-conference-sessions.html

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preferential option for the poor. And other blogs

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There has been a lot of discussion this week about the morality of the Ryan Budget. Since Paul Ryan's statement on subsidiarity, the media and blogs have been full of posts either supporting or correcting Paul Ryan's use of Catholic social teaching. (Lest anyone be unsure, I completely disagree with Ryan's use of Catholic social teaching and examined the question of subsidiarity here last month). This week's discussion heated up as the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development released 4 key statements/press releases pleading with Congress to "to draw a circle of protection around the programs that serve "the least among us." when dealing with housing programs, SNAP/food stamps, agriculture and the Child Tax Credit.

The housing letter is available at: http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/housing-homelessness/upload/Letter-to-House-Appropriations-on-FY-2013-2012-04-04.pdf

The SNAP/food stamps bill letter is available at: www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/hunger-food-nutrition/upload/Letter-to-House-Committee-on-Agriculture-2012-04-16.pdf

The agriculture spending letter is available at: www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/hunger-food-nutrition/upload/Joint-Letter-to-Senate-2012-04-16.pdf

The Child Tax Credit letter is available at: www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/poverty/domestic/upload/Letter-to-House-Ways-and-Means-on-CTC-2012-04-17.pdf

There is a beautiful coherence and symmetry to the four statements - they all have one clear message - protect the poor and vulnerable. While they acknowledge (as do we all) that we live in difficult and complex economic times, we cannot in good conscience balance the budget or protect the economy through sacrificing the poor and vulnerable within our communities. In the Letter on Snap, Bishop Blaire reiterates the three key moral guidelines for evaluating the morality of a budget:

1. Every budget decision should be assessed by whether it protects or threatens human life and dignity.
2. A central moral measure of any budget proposal is how it affects "the least of these" (Matthew 25). The needs of those who are hungry and homeless, without work or in poverty should come first.
3. Government and other institutions have a shared responsibility to promote the common good of all, especially ordinary workers and families who struggle to live in dignity in difficult economic times.

Now the Bishop's letters have gotten quite the response. Speaker John Boehner acknowledged the Bishop's moral authority but claimed they were being short sighted and did not get the "bigger picture." Congressman Paul Ryan claimed"These are not all the Catholic bishops, and we just respectfully disagree." (In response to Ryan's assertion that these letters do not represent all the bishops, " USCCB spokesman Don Clemmer told The Hill that the letters do represent all Catholic bishops, as they were penned by members of the church that were elected to represent the bishops on policy matters at the national level. "Bishops who chair USCCB committees are elected by their fellow bishops to represent all of the U.S. bishops on key issues at the national level," Clemmer said. "The letters on the budget were written by bishops serving in this capacity." - something which Catholics all along the political spectrum must remember).

In response to Speaker Boehner and Congressman Ryan, I would respectfully state, I do not think you get the bigger picture. Boehner, Ryan and their colleagues seem to grossly and dangerously miss the point regarding poverty and vulnerability. Yes, 1 in 6 Americans are living below the poverty line and millions of Americans are struggling, jobless, homeless, hungry and suffering. This is the bigger picture. Catholic social teaching promotes a people-centered economy not the reverse. As Catholics, we simply cannot sacrifice and scapegoat the poor. Hiding behind the debt/deficit and welfare reform attempts to do just that - to take our eye off the bigger picture (47 million people in poverty, a continuing homelessness/foreclosure problem, and high unemployment).

How is this hiding?

1. Debt/Deficit: Their assumptions about the budget, deficit and national debt simply are highly contested by both well-respected economists and theologians. The evaluation of where we are, how we got here, how we move forward and what our economic plan should be is highly contested by economists. On the economic question - I once again recommend taking a look at Economist Charles M.A. Clark's Commonweal piece "Truth Deficit: Four Myths about Government Spending" (disclosure: he is my father) or look at the many online writings by: L. Randall Wray, Paul Krugman, Joseph Stiglitz and others challenging the faulty economic ideology behind the Ryan budget and calls for austerity. (At some point, the economic ideology which lead to the 2008 financial crisis has to be rejected if we have any hope of rebuilding a sustainable community).

2. Welfare Reform: The big call for saving SNAP and other social protections through "reform like the welfare reform" presumes that welfare reform was a big success - this is highly contested. Was welfare reform a big success? Well that depends on what you're definition of success is - is it enough that it "got people off of welfare?" From a the perspective of this moral theologian, getting people off of welfare is not sufficient. Are they out of poverty? Are they flourishing? These questions cannot be adequately answered because the periodic evaluation of welfare reform (called for in the law) has not taken place - as of 2010, it had not even begun. (The politics of this from 1996 up until the 2008 election is detailed by Thomas Massaro, SJ in "Unfinished Business").

Are we willing to attempt to "save ourselves" by sacrificing the poor? This type of misdirection and scapegoating is not new and human societies are very good at this kind of self- delusion. But as Catholics, we are called to something very different. We are called to the bigger picture which is found in true solidarity with the poor and vulnerable. Last year, as we were having what seems like the same debates about government spending, I wrote "Would You Deny Jesus Food Stamps?" a post that like this one was far too long....but my main point bears repeating:

In her reflection on Matthew 16:15 "Who do you say that I am?" Mother Teresa offers a powerful answer, beginning with the standard theological statements from the creed (You are the Second person of the Blessed Trinity, etc) and concludes:

Jesus is the Hungry - to be fed.
Jesus is the Thirsty - to be satiated.
Jesus is the Homeless - to be taken in
Jesus is the Sick - to be healed.
Jesus is the lonely - to be loved.
Jesus is the Unwanted - to be wanted.

Jesus is not like the poor. Jesus is the poor. Jesus is not like the unemployed father who cannot find work and for whom food stamps are the only thing preventing his children from going to bed hungry. Christ is not like single mother working two low-paying part time jobs surviving only through access to housing and child care subsidies. Jesus Christ is that father. Jesus Christ is that mother.

That is the bigger picture. The plight of the poor, vulnerable, invisible in our society is the bigger picture. It is estimated that 3 months of homelessness sets a child back in school 1 full year - that is the bigger picture.

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There has been a lot of discussion this week about the morality of the Ryan Budget. Since Paul Ryan's statement on subsidiarity, the media and blogs have been full of posts either supporting or correcting Paul Ryan's use of Catholic social teaching.

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fr Augusto Zampini Davies, Cafod on environmental issues

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fr Augusto Zampini Davies, Cafod on environmental issues

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CAFOD: Fr Augusto Zampini Davies; Who is my neighbour?

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CAFOD climate change reflections: One Climate, One World and the Good Samaritan parable http://www.cafod.org.uk/campaign ---- Download the parable here: http://www.cafod.org.uk/content/download/22386/156682/file/Prayer_climate_Genesis-and-Good-Samaritan.pdf --- Fr Augusto Zampini Davies speaks about the theology which underpins CAFOD's One Climate, One World campaign on climate change, and what the parable of the Good Samaritan can teach us about our relationships with each other and with the earth.

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This site uses cookies to store information on your computer. By using this site, you consent to the placement and use of these cookies. Read our Privacy Policy to learn more. ACCEPT

Air date January 30, 2015

Parishioners expressed their love for Monsignor John Strynkowski, on his last day as rector at Downtown Brooklyn's Saint James Cathedral-Basilica.

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Saying Farewell to Monsignor Strynkowski - NET TV

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This site uses cookies to store information on your computer. By using this site, you consent to the placement and use of these cookies. Read our Privacy Policy to learn more. ACCEPT Air date January 30, 2015 Parishioners expressed their love for Monsignor John Strynkowski, on his last day as rector at Downtown Brooklyn's Saint James Cathedral-Basilica.

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Students >English File Student's Site >Elementary >Pronunciation

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Want to improve your writing skills? Our free online tool helps you to practise your writing and get valuable feedback instantly. Write & Improve is simple to use: just choose a task, write or upload a written response and use the feedback to quickly improve.

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Want to improve your writing skills? Our free online tool helps you to practise your writing and get valuable feedback instantly. Write & Improve is simple to use: just choose a task, write or upload a written response and use the feedback to quickly improve.