In a world where the plight of the vulnerable often goes unheard, the voices of those like Blanca Figueroa, a Guatemalan asylum seeker, pierce through the silence. The family's breadwinner and the injured husband's caregiver, Blanca confides, “He worries a lot that if they deport me, he would not be able to manage the house and the boys,” revealing the profound fear of separation from her family.
Meanwhile, Hannah Flamm of the International Refugee Assistance Project raises alarms about the expedited removal process, "You have no due process. You do not see an immigration judge. You can be taken into custody and deported in hours or days. The only way to get out of this fast-track deportation process is by establishing that you are afraid to go back to your country and you pass a fear screening."
Even the testimonies of anonymous migrants caught in the web of indiscriminate enforcement echo the desperate uncertainty felt by many. “I was arrested and detained, but due to space constraints and court orders, I was released back into the U.S. on a monitoring program.” This migrant, like many others, faced the uncertainty and fear of being picked up by police indiscriminately or for minor infractions like driving without a license.
In the midst of this turmoil, Pope Francis’ rebuke of the Trump administration’s mass deportation policies resonates with a powerful warning: such actions “will end badly.” The Pope’s call for compassion challenges the Trump administration to look beyond legal status and recognize the inherent dignity of every human being, urging a profound reevaluation of the American moral compass.
A month ago, Pope Francis called Trump’s plans for mass deportations a “disgrace.” This comes nearly a decade after he labeled Trump “not Christian” for wanting to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border. The Pope weighed in on Trump’s pledges, emphasizing the moral implications of such actions.
In his letter to the American bishops, Pope Francis expressed his deep concerns regarding the treatment of migrants, drawing parallels with biblical narratives. He stated:
“The journey from slavery to freedom that the People of Israel traveled, as narrated in the Book of Exodus, invites us to look at the reality of our time, so clearly marked by the phenomenon of migration, as a decisive moment in history to reaffirm not only our faith in a God who is always close, incarnate, migrant and refugee but also the infinite and transcendent dignity of every human person.”
Pope Francis further elaborated:
“The Son of God, in becoming man, also chose to live the drama of immigration … The family of Nazareth in exile, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, emigrates to Egypt and refugees there to escape the wrath of an ungodly king, they are the model, the example, and the consolation of emigrants and pilgrims of every age and country, of all refugees of every condition who, beset by persecution or necessity, are forced to leave their homeland, beloved family, and dear friends for foreign lands.”
Despite the Vatican being a city-state surrounded by walls built in the 9th century against Saracen raiders, U.S. border czar Tom Homan immediately countered that the Pope should leave border enforcement to his office.
However, Pope Francis aligns with the historical American vision articulated by the Founding Fathers. The American dollar bill boldly proclaims this vision, as described in Michael Gellert’s book The Fate of America: An Inquiry into National Character.
“The seal of the United States… equivalent of what a personal signature to the individual; it is a symbol of identity. As such, the Great Seal is alpha and omega of American symbols: it extols the basic premises and goals with which the nation was conceived. Its imagery, the design of which in the initial stages involved the efforts of Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams, speaks to the heart of the American enterprise. It tells how both the Founding Fathers and the Puritans before them viewed America and what they had in mind for it.”
The American Bald Eagle, universally associated with liberty and democracy, represents not only the idea of natural rights, that all men are equal, but also the norms of political organization that keep this idea alive and strong. With its escutcheon or shield, the eagle signifies the American scheme for the practice and preservation of democracy. This system checks the tendency toward inordinate power by a few while balancing it with the confusion of the multitude, ensuring freedom by denying any source of prestige or authority immunity from criticism.
In its mouth, the eagle holds a scroll inscribed with E Pluribus Unum, meaning “Out of many, one.” This motto alludes to the union of the thirteen colonies into one nation and points to the ideal of the brotherhood of man, conveyed in the biblical phrase, “Ye are brethren,” central to both the Puritans and Jeffersonian visions for America.
Jefferson, in his secularized version of the gospel of Jesus, emphasized moral teachings. He regarded them as “pure and perfect” compared to those of the most correct philosophers. Jefferson accepted Christianity on humanitarian, not theological, grounds identifying as a “real Christian” and an adherent to Jesus’ morality. When he called himself a Christian – “a real Christian” – he meant that he was an adherent of the morality of Jesus. Adams echoed this sentiment across, emphasizing that Christian morality brings the principle of loving one’s neighbor to the knowledge and veneration of the entire state.
The Founding Fathers believed that nations flourish or fall based on their moral character, advocating for an upright, not necessarily Christian, nation. The reverse side of the seal, the Pyramid, represents the significance of strength and durability in the greater scheme of things. The scroll the nation at the pyramid’s base, inscribed with Novus Ordo Seclorum, or “New Order of the Ages” announced the beginning of a new era in which democracy and the republican form of government aimed to establish the brotherhood of man.
Pope Francis, reinforcing this vision, stated:
“The true ordo amoris that must be promoted is that which we discover by meditating constantly on the parable of the Good Samaritan (cf. Lk 10:25-37), that is, by meditating on the love that builds a fraternity [brotherhood of man] open to all, without exception.”
One brief but striking reader’s reaction to Pope Francis’ rebuke over mass deportation was: “You are a little late… but please continue to speak up!” Indeed, it’s a wake-up call for the American nation, especially for those, as another one commented, “being kicked in the gut.”
Pope Francis exhorted us all men and women of goodwill “not to give in to narratives that discriminate against and cause unnecessary suffering to our migrant and refugee brothers and sisters,” and thus “take a step forward in the construction of a society that is more fraternal, inclusive, and respectful of the dignity of all.”
Content & editing put together in collaboration with Microsoft Bing AI-powered Co-pilot
Head photo courtesy of Adobe Stock
Still photos courtesy of PBS News, Laidlaw College, Shutterstock, National Catholic Register, & Pin page
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