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 WASHINGTON- The United States has a moral obligation to protect unaccompanied children and families from persecution in Central America, said Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, Texas, in testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, October 21. Bishop Seitz is an advisor to the USCCB Committee on Migration and a member of the board of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC).

The humanitarian outflow, driven by organized crime in the northern triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, continues, with nearly 40,000 unaccompanied children and an equal number of mothers with children having arrived in the United States in Fiscal Year 2015.

"If we do not respond justly and humanely to this challenge in our own backyard, then we will relinquish our moral leadership and moral influence globally," Bishop Seitz said.

Bishop Seitz pointed to the human consequences of U.S. policies which are designed to deter migration from the region, including U.S. support for Mexican interdiction efforts which are intercepting children and families in Mexico and sending them back to danger, in violation of international law.

Bishop Seitz recommended an end to these interdictions and the introduction of a regional system which would screen children and families for asylum in Mexico and other parts of the region. He also called for Congress to approve and increase a $1 billion aid package proposed by the Administration.

"If we export enforcement," Bishop Seitz said, "we also must export protection."

Bishop Seitz recalled the words of Pope Francis before Congress in September, when he invoked the golden rule in guiding our nation's actions toward those seeking safety in our land.

Quoting the Holy Father, Bishop Seitz repeated to the committee, "'The yardstick we use for others will be the yardstick which time will use for us.'"

"Mr. Chairman, I pray that time, and history, will conclude that we honored this rule in meeting this humanitarian challenge," Bishop Seitz concluded.

Bishop Seitz' testimony can be found at http://www.usccb.org//about/migration-policy/congressional-testimony/upload/seitz-ongoing-migration.pdf

Keywords: Bishop Mark J. Seitz, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, Congress, Senate, Committee on Migration, migration, unaccompanied children, violence, Pope Francis
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(Vatican Radio) According to UN estimates, more than one million refugees and migrants have entered Europe in 2015.

Listen to Christopher Wells’ report:

The United Nations Refugee Agency, UNHCR, along with the International Organization for Migration, said on Tuesday that more than one million people had fled to Europe over the course of the past year. In a press release, the UNHCR said “the number of people displaced by war and conflict is the highest seen in Western and Central Europe since the 1990s.”

Approximately half of those entering Europe were fleeing the conflict in Syria. Afghans accounted for about twenty percent of the total, with Iraqis representing seven percent.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, said it was “important to recognize the positive contributions that refugees and migrants make to the societies in which they live and also honour core European values.” William Lacy Swing, Director General of the International Organization for Migration added, “We know migration is inevitable, it’s necessary and it’s desirable.” But, he said, “But it’s not enough to count the number of those arriving—or the nearly 4,000 this year reported missing or drowned. We must also act. Migration must be legal, safe and secure for all—both for the migrants themselves and the countries that will become their new home.”

Europe has struggled to formulate a united response to the unprecedented numbers of migrants and refugees, with agencies such as the UNHCR and the IOM attempting to coordinate emergency responses. 

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(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis will celebrate the Jubilee of Mercy for Families on Sunday 27 December, Feast of the Holy Family.

The Pope ushered in the Jubilee Year of Mercy on 8 December, the day the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and he is scheduled to close it on 20 November 2016, the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King, with the closing of the Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Pope Francis has asked all believers “to find in this Jubilee the joy of rediscovering and rendering fruitful God’s mercy (…) and to not forget that God forgives all, and God forgives always”.

He has invited us go forward in the year-long penitential journey with an open heart “to receive the indulgence and the mercy of God”.

From an organizational point of view highlights of the Jubilee Year include the sending forth of the Missionaries of Mercy on Ash Wednesday and World Youth Day, which will take place in Krakow, Poland from 26-31 July. 

Special jubilee days throughout the year are dedicated to groups of people in the Church, including Jubilees for Consecrated Life, for young children, for the sick, and for catechists. There will also be a Marian jubilee on the Saturday and Sunday following the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary.

Coming up on Sunday 27 December  Pope Francis will celebrate the Jubilee of Families with a special Mass for families in St. Peter’s Basilica.

For the occasion he is inviting families, all together, to join celebrations and cross the thresholds of Holy Doors – be they in St Peter’s Basilica – or in other Churches or Cathedrals throughout the world.

Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, Head of the Pontifical Council for the Family spoke to Vatican Radio about the significance of this particular jubilee:
  
Listen: 

Archbishop Paglia says the Jubilee of Families is an occasion to rediscover the vocation and the mission of the family – and that is he says – is in the need to step out of our constricted selves and small family circles.

“We run the risk of staying ‘inside’ and this is a great danger – for families too!” he says.

It is important he says to go out, to cross the thresholds of our doors and to meet the whole of society, to meet all people, “especially poor people in order to be able to give to them the strength of brotherhood and solidarity, in order to transform our society into a real family of peoples”.

Archbishop Paglia underlines the fact that the mission and the vocation of Christian families is “to transform an individualistic world into a familiar world”.

Another vocation of families, he says, is “to defend the creation - our common home - for one large pluralistic family of peoples”. 

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The  much anticipated annual Interreligious celebration of Christmas, hosted by His Eminence, Oswald Cardinal Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay, is a fitting introduction indeed to the season of Christmas with its message of goodwill to all. This year’s theme was: ‘We are all brothers and sisters caring for each other and for creation’ in keeping with the Holy Father’s encyclical, ‘Laudato Si’ – a message that has reached and touched almost every heart on planet earth.

Ms. Jacintha Vales, the emcee for the evening, welcomed one and all and invited His Eminence to light the lamp and unveil the crib while the choir sang a heartfelt rendition of ‘Uta ho vishwasi…nishtene aaradhya swamila’ – ‘O come all ye faithful’ in Hindi and Marathi. This was followed by a presentation of the Christmas story – read from the Gospel of Luke, in Hindi, movingly enacted by the girls of Jesus & Mary Convent, Fort and set to the strains of Silent Night, Angels We Have Heard On High, Go Tell It On The Mountains, We Three Kings and Joy To The World.  Truly, angels were present! And we were given this message to carry home:  ‘Jesus came to give us the love of the Father and peace in our hearts….we share this with you and invite you all to take the message home to share with others.’

The heart of the programme – the interreligious dialogue with representatives of other faiths – was hosted by Fr. Ryan Alex,Director of the Diocesan Youth Centre, who opened the session with the following words from the Bhagvad Gita, “Use words which give peace, words which are good, and beautiful and true and also the reading of sacred books; this is the harmony of words.”  The time spent together at this session would show us how all religions enjoin us to care for nature and each other, the role that we play in each other’s lives and the harmony that exists among different faiths.

Representatives of the following faiths were invited on stage to participate in the discussion:

The Hindu Faith: Prof. Upadhyaya

The Sikh Faith: Inderjit Singh

Islam: Maulana Zaheer Abbas Rizvi & Maulana Mustaquim Azmi

The Jewish Faith: Rabbi Ezra Moses

The Baha’i Faith: Nadeem Habadani

The Zoroastrian Faith: Dr. Homi Dhalla

The Jain Faith: Ms. Shilpa Chhedda

The Christian Faith: Swami Sachidanand & Fr. Stephen Fernandes

Prof. Upadhyaya, the first to speak, explained the difficulties experienced by Krishna at the time of his birth and throughout his life. He returns in every age to restore dharma and he continues to face difficulties because the world pulls in different directions. But he never complains of these difficulties and sufferings because they are considered to be the grace of God, which help us to evolve into better human beings. We should never complain of suffering because this is our path to salvation.

Next up was Fr. Stephen Fernandes who was asked to speak on pro-life issues and the difficulties faced in this area while protecting life from the womb to the tomb. Fr. Stephen reiterated that life is a precious gift from God – all life is therefore sacred and should be protected from conception till its natural end.  We are called to promote a culture of life and for this all religions need to come together.  The present trend in the world is ‘I can do what I want’ and the choices made, based on this trend, inevitably lead to moral degradation and the lack of respect for life.

When asked to comment and expand on the quotation from the Guru Granth Sahib, ‘Air is the guru, Water is the father and Earth is the great mother of all’ in the context of the earth linking all humanity and therefore, all faiths, Guru Inderjit Singh explained that water is essential for life, without it we cannot survive; the earth is the great mother because it supports life – all of us have our feet placed on the earth and the air is what we all breathe. When we understand this, we will treat all those elder to us as father and mother, all those of our age as brothers and sisters and all those younger than us as our own children, because we have one common father and mother in the air, water and the earth.

Maulana Zaheer Abbas Rizvi wished all present a ‘Merry Christmas’! In heartfelt terms, he expressed that many have received the wrong impression of Islam and of what is given in the Koran. These misunderstandings are baseless. The Koran speaks of peace and brotherhood and says, ‘Your religion is for you, my religion is for me.’ We should not interfere in each other’s religion and this is the message to live in peace.

Maulana Mustaquim Azmi indicated that the Bible and Koran have many similarities. Both call us to be as brothers and live in peace without fighting. We are all created by God and the differences that are created are man-made.  In the Koran, love is not just for humans but for animals and all that has been created by God. The Maulana entreated everyone not to fall into the trap of hatred and ended by quoting from ‘Saare Jahan se Accha, Hindustan Hamara!’

Swami Sachidanand, who professes an inculturated Christian faith, had an interesting story to tell about his life and transformation. Before taking sanyas, he was an officer in the Air Force. He came to the spiritual path after being involved in an aircrash when he encountered Jesus in a very personal way.  He started preaching in the style of a charismatic but felt the need to be a witness to Christ’s saving grace in other ways, particularly in the socio-cultural-spiritual milieu of India. It was his encounter with a Benedictine Monk, Bede Griffiths – who also gave him his name – that made him realise the depth of India’s own spirituality which led him to integrate his two loves: Jesus Christ and Mother India. He invited all to imbibe Tyaag Archana (Tyaag = sacrifice; Archana = offering to God with love). He also explained that satyagraha was in the socio-political context while the cross is to be accepted in the socio-spiritual context.  When we accept the cross and surrender ourselves to it for the redemption of others, we experience a form of loadshedding that is wonderful!

Ms Shilpa Chhedda who represented the Jains, continued the theme of sacrifice. In the Jain faith, there are two types of sacrifice: the external, involving the body (giving up physical satisfaction e.g. forsaking certain foods), and the internal, involving the mind and soul (controlling passions such as anger, pride, ego).  This, coupled with the reading of the scriptures, leads to respect for others and for creation.

Nadeem Habadani, representing the Baha’i Faith, spoke on how this belief was based on religious harmony and unity in diversity – where unity is strength and diversity is celebration. While there are independent religions, the Baha’i believe that we are leaves of one tree and fruits of one branch. Religion has always taught love; when we cooperate we grow as a society. All religions, previous and present, are recognized by Baha’I and are likened to the rays of the sun; they are relevant in their own time for the development of humanity. But truth is always one.

Rabbi Moses wished everyone Shalom Aleichem – Peace be with you. He was asked about Jewish Law and the harmony it calls for between life and nature. The Torah contains the 613 commandments given to Moses of which 10 are best known and widely used. But all the laws contained in the Torah are important: 248 are positive (what should be done) while 365 are negative (what should not be done).

The most important commandment is ‘Honour your Father and Mother’ and the other is to love your neighbour as yourself.  The Rabbi touched briefly on the situation in Israel indicating that the Jews have always offered peace to their neighbours.

Dr. Homi Dhalla spoke of water and fire in Zoroastrianism, both symbols of purification which are part of nature itself. The followers of the Zoroastrian faith are committed to the conservation and protection of nature; it is an ecological religion established 3500 years ago with the emphasis on nature in which man is  trustee, called to live in harmony with nature, the seasons and with one’s neighbours.  He referred to Jamshedji Tata, the founder of the Tata Empire who is remembered for three major projects in his lifetime: Jamshedpur, Hydro-Electric Power supply to Mumbai, and the International Institute of Science at Bangalore. (In 1889) Roughly 120 years ago, he had given written instructions for the design of Jamshedpur which mandated the planting of trees and gardens and the building of roads.  Jamshedji had also indicated that a temple for the Hindus, a church for Christians and a mosque for Muslims should be included in the setup, thus indicating a desire for harmony among the religions. The Tatas are known for their philanthropy and Corporate Social Responsibility in social and environmental spheres.

Guru Inderjit Singh spoke once again about Srishti (Creation, Nature, the World) and stated that the environment must be cared for, for people to survive.  Climate change cannot be blamed on the deity but the human element.  The human element poses many dangers – people want peace but fight in the name of religion! Knowledge is also important; knowledge is a guru. 

In the final round of comments Prof. Upadhaya mentioned that Dharma and Prakriti are two aspects found in all the Vedas. All is God.  Creator and Creation are seen by many as two different and independent aspects.  This is not so.  God becomes the Universe that He created – He enters every atom of creation. His divine spark is in all of us thus making us brothers and sisters. There is no ‘otherness’ because the other is the same; we all share the innermost force which is divine – we are one.  We are different without difference! And we therefore possess the same moral values of sympathy, empathy and love.

Swami Sachidanand was invited to sum up on behalf of all the representatives. He applauded the Pope’s encyclical, ‘Laudato Si’ which calls for the care of creation and each other. We are part of and bound with each other through nature and are interdependent.  The sooner we realise this - the sooner we evolve in consciousness - the better we will realise the need for harmony and we will become happier and peaceful. Pope Francis’ call will prove providential to human history; materialism and consumerism are causing ruin and we need a new vision – a holistic and realistic vision and mission: peace and harmony through the Cross. This was expressed by both Constantine and Gandhiji.  He quoted Gandhiji (in 1939) as saying that we can be redeemed only by the cross, there is no other way. This was in the context of satyagraha. Institutional Christianity (introduced by Constantine) came from the West, spiritual Christianity will come from the East and this can be India’s contribution to the world. The concept of divine grace that we can reach is common to all religions. (He himself has lived in/experienced four of the Indian faiths).

The emcee thanked all the participants for the spectrum of ideas which had been shared and a token of appreciation was gifted to each one.

A Sikh gentleman took the podium, at his request. He mentioned that he had been attending this event for many years and suggested that the sentiments expressed that ‘we are one’ should be taken further.  He requested that suitable extracts be taken from all the Holy Books of different faiths and compiled into one common book so that the message goes out to the world that we are, indeed, one. He was even prepared to share the expenses. He went on to say that even within faiths there are fractures and fights in the name of religion. If we read each other’s Holy Books we will be brought to a deeper understanding and mutual respect.

A choreographed presentation by Focolare followed on ‘the mystery of creation, harmony between humans and nature’ so that we can rediscover that we are all brothers and sisters. A spokesperson for Focolare explained that it is a universal fraternity and also spoke about the United World Week which they had celebrated, and which involved different countries and faiths. One of the participants of the UWW, Rahul, then narrated his experience and the outpouring of  love and acceptance that he encountered. A representative,  Prof. Minal Khathakar from Anamprem then spoke about the organisation and the work they do to spread love among the disadvantaged and also the civic workers – public servants like the police, postmen, scavengers – who serve us but whom we take for granted. 

Anamprem organises events on a common platform in which everyone who is interested can participate.  It was interesting to note that Article 51A of the Constitution of India expresses the fundamental duties of a citizen of India and Anamprem incorporates this concept in their activities! The message given was that we are different – we do not look the same, we do not speak the same, we do not think the same and we come from different backgrounds, but we do have one thing in common and that is a heart! Anamprem, jointly with Focolare is organising a function for the Kashmiri Hindu and Muslim refugees to meet and all were cordially invited.

Then it was time for Cardinal Oswald Gracias to speak and he expressed his joy at being present at the function.  He also expressed the message of hope that Christmas brings, despite the conflicts in the world – in very recent times, Paris, San Bernardino, Nigeria. It is expected that as we make progress, love and mutual respect will increase but this does not always happen.  It is good that world leaders meet to resolve issues and the recent meeting in Paris regarding climate change is an example of this.  It indicates a basic unity and understanding; we should continue to pull out of despair to keep doing something positive and never give up hope. Laudato Si  with its message to care for creation has revived and raised consciousness about the environment.  We need to look to the future that we leave for our children and grandchildren.  Christmas reminds us and assures us of hope! His Eminence then wished each and everyone the Joy, Peace, Hope and Love that Jesus gifts to us, and invited us to follow His example to make the world one family and overcome prejudices and misunderstandings.  He cited the city of Mumbai as being a good example and indicated that we should not allow the feeling of mutual understanding to diminish.

His Eminence expressed special thanks to the representatives of all faiths who attended, particularly those who took part in the panel discussion.  He also thanks the Consuls of different countries who had taken time out of their busy schedules to be present.

It was coincidental that the day marked the 45th Anniversary of Cardinal Oswald’s ordination to the priesthood, so everyone sang ‘Congratulations!’ to him as he cut the cake that was brought on stage.  Actually, it was a double celebration as his birthday on December 24 was anticipated and ‘Happy Birthday’ was sung as well!!

Our emcee and host for the evening,  Jacintha, expressed thanks to all who attended and also to Fr. John Lopes, Principal of Holy Name High School, Sr. Arina, RJM Principal, Jesus & Mary, Fort, Fr. Alban D’Souza, Dr Marilu Rossi, the representatives of the different faiths, Fr, Ryan Alex, Dr. Abraham Mathai, the Archdiocesan Commission for Interreligious Dialogue and the representatives from the different Consulates.

The choir came back onstage to render a beautiful medley of hymns while His Eminence met and greeted each one individually. Refreshments were served and there was a general intermingling and sharing of goodwill.

:December 21, 2015

:Catholic Communication Centre, AOB

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(Vatican Radio) The Major Penitentiary of the Church, Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, has sent a Christmas letter to the confessors of the Church.

The Major Penitentiary is the Vatican Tribunal which deals with the “internal forum” and deals with issues in the Church surrounding the Sacrament of Confession.

In his letter, Cardinal Piacenza reminds confessor the upcoming Solemnity of Christmas is not a “sentimental fairy-tale,” but a holy mystery, the mystery of God’s mercy.

The Cardinal looks to the end times, when humanity will be judged by the Son of Man. He says this judgement will not only be on the basis of an “abstractly understood moral behaviour,” but based on the “‘truth’ of our love.”

 “We know that our love – called to grow in response to Christ's love – is, however, a wounded love, ‘polluted’ by sin, and a love that not only needs to be ‘real’, but, more and more, needs to be ‘made true,’ purified, saved,” writes Cardinal Piacenza.

“Nevertheless” - he continues – “there is no social or ecclesial structure, nor any moral exhortation, nor any merely human strategy that can free love and render it truly ‘real’. Only the grace of Christ has this power. He is - the Holy Father reminds us - the mystery of mercy and He, when  recognized and welcomed, makes man free to love truly.”

Cardinal Piacenza says this means at the end of time, we will be “judged according to the truth of Christ, the truth of our love for Him, but, at the same time, only Christ is able to liberate our love and make us truly capable of loving Him.”

“Therefore He is Judge, and He is Saviour; He is Justice, and He is Love; He is Truth, and He is Mercy” – Cardinal Piacenza continues –  “How do we resolve this apparent and divine paradox? Exactly in the great Sacrament of Mercy, in sacramental confession.”

The Cardinal says every celebration of the sacrament of confession “anticipates” the Last Judgement, and give the penitent the gift of looking at the “great truth of the mystery of Christ, the Truth of His Mercy.”

He calls on all confessors to joyfully offer their lives to the “service of this encounter of Truth and Mercy,” and says that in the confessional is “born the only true peace of which the world truly needs.”

“The only help truly effective for the whole of humanity, that, confession after confession, you will see cleansed of sin and thus saved from the deadliest of ‘smog’” – continues Cardinal Piacenza –  “And it is in the confessional where we see the most radical work of ecology that we can accomplish!”

The Cardinal concludes his letter by asking priests to pray for one another, so they, too, can be “continually purified by this Mercy,” and therefore be “ever more intimately transformed by the Mystery of the Incarnate Word.”

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IMAGE: CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec

By Nancy Wiechec

NOGALES, Mexico (CNS) -- Kenia Salas, about to play the role of Mary in a Christmastime commemoration popular across Mexico, said she imagines Mary as a woman of strength.

"I think she was worried about her baby," Salas, 17, said before participating in the "posada" along the U.S.-Mexico border. "I think she probably was a little scared because she was about to give birth and she was in pain. But I also think she was happy. She knew what she was doing was for God, and that made her strong."

Advocates for migrants gathered for the traditional re-enactment of Mary and Joseph's search for shelter before the birth of Christ. The roles of Mary, Joseph and an angel were played by Salas and other members of Kino Teens, who work with the Kino Border Initiative in its ministry to migrants.

Joining the procession along the border fence were Bishops Jose Leopoldo Gonzalez of Nogales and Gerald F. Kicanas of Tucson, Arizona. Their dioceses include the area of "ambos Nogales," the separated American and Mexican cities of Nogales.

The crowd included the Nolan family from Incarnation Parish in Palos Heights, Ill. Elizabeth Nolan, 17, had taken part in a Kino Teens border immersion program in the summer. She said she wanted the rest of her family to see firsthand the border city and be able talk with migrants and to hear their stories.

"Seeing the border and crossing over shows how close we are and yet how far apart we really are," she said.

Along the "posada" procession route, the group heard recordings of migrants telling their accounts of separation and struggle.

In one recording, a woman weeps for her children as she tells of her Arizona workplace being raided by sheriff deputies. She was jailed and deported, separated from her husband and 11- and 18-year-old sons.

"They took away our spirit," she said. "You feel like you can do nothing. It's not easy being separated from your children and your family."

Following the testimony, the "posada" group reflected on what it means to be family.

Someone read a quote from Pope Francis: "The family the Catholic Church defends is a reality wanted by God. It is a gift of God that brings to people, as well as to societies, joy, peace stability, happiness."

The posada, which began near the DeConcini Port of Entry, ended at the "comedor," the kitchen and dining hall of the Aid Center for Deported Migrants run by the Kino Border Initiative.

Deported men, women and children are fed hot meals there each night. This night was no exception.

After helping serve the meal, Bishop Kicanas reflected on what it means for people of faith to come together to support each other regardless of borders.

"This time of year is a beautiful time for families on both sides of our border to come together, to walk together, to share together, to pray together," he said. "That's what this 'posada' has been, an opportunity for us from Nogales, Sonora, the new diocese, and the Diocese of Tucson and the Diocese of Phoenix to walk together. That's what the Lord is calling us to do and what this beautiful season reminds us about."

Like so many migrants and refugees today, he said, Mary and Joseph were poor people, and they simply desired a place of comfort and safety for their child.

"The people who are seeking a better way of life remind us of ourselves. Every parent wants to care for their child, every parent wants to have opportunity for their child. That's really the driving force of migration.

"It's important for nations of the world to find ways to welcome the stranger, to welcome those who are fleeing violence, to welcome those who are trying to find a better way of life," he said.

The bishop said a message of solidarity is one people can expect to hear from Pope Francis when he visits Mexico's Cuidad Juarez along the U.S. border in February.

"I think he will surely remind us that in the church, in God's family, there are no borders ... we are one family in Christ," he said.

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