November 23, 2025

Last weekend, I encouraged everyone to look up the U.S. Bishops’ special message concerning immigration in America. It is a simple, clear and straight-forward message, calling for compassion and decency. As I have watched this piece of our history unfold, a few things have crystalized in my mind. First, people of goodwill are on both sides of the issue of our borders. As the Church has stated many times, a country has a right to protect its borders. Secondly, people have a right to migrate to find a better life and security. This is how most of us non-Native American or African-rooted people got here. Our families came here seeking a better, safer life. Third, no one believes violent criminals should be allowed to roam free. Fourth, some do not differentiate between violent criminals and those who violated a civil law and came here without documents. Fifth, while it is legitimate to arrest those who break laws, too often these arrests have been carried out improperly (e.g. without warrants, sometimes picking up and holding U.S. citizens). Sixth, as long as there is dire poverty in other countries, people will always try to find a better life for themselves and their families. And the United States has always held itself out as the land of opportunity. I am sure you may have additional observations. It is a complex timewe live in.

There is one more observation I have made, and it is a deeply personal one for each of us. That is the danger of divorcing our faith from social awareness. The Bishops call us to uphold the dignity of the human person. This is a vitally moral issue. It does not mean the government doesn’t have legitimate responsibilities around immigration. But it does challenge some of what we have seen in Broadview. A minister getting shot in the head with a tear gas canister while praying; people held for weeks in an office building that has boarded-up windows, insufficient bathroom facilities, virtually no privacy, that was never intended as a living space in any capacity. Enforcing the law doesn’t have to be inhumane. And when protests are made, violence has no place. It is always unacceptable. Protesters must assert themselves without resorting to that. I think we can all do better. Jesus gave us certain expectations which can be found in the 25th chapter of Matthew’s Gospel. I urge you to read it and hear our higher angels being called out of us.

 So if someone tells you the Bishops statement is political, it is only because they want to avoid the hard question of how our faith and social biases collide. These are not easy days, so let’s try to be kind to ourselves and one another. As we look forward to Thanksgiving Day, let’s truly be grateful, enjoy our time with people we love and see if we can be a bit more generous and bring out the best in each other. God bless you this Thanksgiving!
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