Leaders of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) emphasised that they would champion vulnerable communities and work towards immigration reform.

"As the successors of the Apostles and vicars of Christ in our dioceses, we never backpedal or renounce the clear teaching of the Gospel" said Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the conference. "We proclaim it in and out of season."

Commitment to human dignity

Broglio, who also leads the Archdiocese for the Military Services, said that Catholic teachings on human dignity encompass all stages of life. "Human dignity should be protected from womb to tomb" he stated.

He stressed that the bishops would work to "defend and lift up the poor" and to "encourage immigration reform, while we continue to care for those in need who cross our borders".

The archbishop clarified that the conference "certainly does not encourage illegal immigration" and reminded attendees of their responsibility to see Christ in "the hungry, thirsty, naked, homeless, stranger or the sick".

Concerns on mass deportations

El Paso Bishop Mark Seitz, chair of the USCCB's migration committee, spoke on the potential for mass deportations under Trump's administration. Seitz said the conference would "raise our voice loudly" if fundamental protections for migrants were threatened, calling it a "test for our nation" regarding its commitment to human rights.

"We will raise our voice loudly if those basic protections for people that have been a part of our country from its very beginning are not being respected" Seitz said. He emphasised that the church's role includes advocating for both legal and human rights.

Conscience and the Military

Broglio also addressed concerns about potential military involvement in deportation efforts. While military personnel typically cannot object to individual policies or actions, Broglio noted that "no one can be obliged to go against his or her conscience".

He added that military chaplains would support personnel in navigating ethical conflicts within the constraints of military service.

Looking forward, Broglio noted economic considerations around potential mass deportations, suggesting that filling open jobs could be a more pragmatic approach.

Source

• RNS

President-elect Donald Trump wants to deport all illegal immigrants, especially criminals.

If they're not deported, he says they will be incarcerated.

His election vow to deport an estimated 11 million people has seen illegal immigrants hiding from federal authorities.

Many are looking to churches to help hide them.

Churches are considered "sensitive locations" by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

They avoid going to these places to arrest, search or interview people.

Churches therefore make ideal places for people to seek sanctuary.

Schools and hospitals are also viewed as "sensitive locations".

Over the past few years, 15 people have sought sanctuary. Caring for them has involved 13 churches in nine cities.

The 15 people were in imminent danger of being deported.

The Rev Donna Schaper, who is a senior minister of New York's Judson Memorial Church, says New York City has 11 congregations offering illegal immigrants refuge.

Some illegal immigrants have moved into "sanctuary churches" for indefinite periods.

She thinks the number will increase when Trump is inaugurated.

"The newly elected president is threatening to deport many of them and they want to be safe — churches have a moral mandate to help people in a way that is different than cities in general," she said.

Peter Pedemonti, executive director of the New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia says there has been and "outpouring of inquiries and support" from congregations all over America that want to sign up in sanctuary sites.

Pedemonti's New Sanctuary Movement provides spiritual, financial, emotional and legal support to illegal immigrants.

His group includes 17 churches and two synagogues. They have joined together to stop deportations.

They have also offered their sanctuaries as safe havens.

The New Sanctuary Movement provides spiritual, financial, emotional and legal support to illegal immigrants.

Source

• The Christian Century
• Western Journalism
• Image: France 24

Each year the report collates hate crime statistics from law enforcement agencies across the country.

Its aim is to help provide an accurate accounting of the problem, by state and nationally.

President-elect Donald Trump said he was "very surprised" to hear about them during a US "60 Minutes" interview on Sunday.

"I hate to hear that. I mean, I hate to hear that," he said.

Trump has been accused of fostering racism, xenophobia and Islamophobia.

This view is fueled by his promises to restrict immigration, deport Mexicans, and register Muslims.

He has appointed Steve Bannon, boss of far-right Breitbart website as his chief White House strategist.

Breitbart openly attacks women, Muslims and African-Americans and Jews.

The FBI says the increase in hate crimes began before the 2016 election campaign started.

The report shows crimes against Muslims rose by 70% from 178 in 2014 to 301 in 2015.

The report also records 664 incidents (a 9% increase) against Jews and Jewish institutions "motivated by anti-Semitism" .

Jews and Muslims are banding together to support each other.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which fights against antisemitism and bigotry is strongly condemning all anti Muslim incidents.

A US not-for-profit hate-attack monitoring group, the Southern Poverty Law Center has also been keeping records.

Group spokesperson Mark Potok says it has documented anecdotes of 437 cases of intimidation and abuse towards minorities since last week's general election.

Potok said many anecdotes were linked to President-elect Donald Trump's supporters.

Rizwan Jaka, a Muslim representative spoke on the same 60 Minutes programme as Trump.

She said the Muslim community in has faced a "roller coaster of challenges in the past 15 years, since the horrific attacks of 9/11[...]

"In 2015, over 75 mosques were attacked ...Muslim women that are wearing the scarf are being taunted or harassed or threatened ...".

"And so we're all concerned, and obviously there's bigotry across the spectrum, across all demographics, and we're concerned about it all".

Source

• CBS News
• National Catholic Reporter
• BBC
• The Jerusalem Post
• International Business Times
• Image: hatecrimescotland.org

If the President-elect hurts those on life's margins, Francis says he will step in.

Otherwise, he wants to give Trump a chance.

Francis consistently shows concern for the poor and marginalised.

On Friday, as the Jubilee Year of Mercy came to an end, Francis welcomed 6,000 poor people to the Vatican.

Most were homeless people from around Europe.

They were there at his invitation. Their expenses were met by charitable organizations.

People with physical and mental disabilities were also welocmed to the end of the Jubilee celebrations.

Prisoners from around Italy have also enjoyed the Pope's company over the past few weeks.

Francis says the barriers dividing the rich and poor should be torn down.

He would like to see inequality leveled and human rights and freedoms improved.

"What we want is a fight against inequality. This is the greatest evil that exists in the world," he said.

"Christ spoke of a society where the poor, the weak, the marginalized are empowered... it is they who must help to achieve equality and freedom."

Source

• CBN News
• Christian Today
• Crux
• Royal Doors

He says he is still determined to build a barrier between Mexico and the United States.

It is not yet clear who will pay for the barricade.

He says it may include both a wall and a fence.

Its purpose is to keep illegal immigrants out of the United States.

He also promised to or incarcerate millions of illegal immigrants. Many of them are criminals, he asserts.

The US-Mexican border is nearly 2000 kilometres long.

Parts are already fenced, parts are patrolled and much is unprotected desert land.

Claudia Ruiz Massieu, Mexico's foreign minister, said: 'We are in the business of eliminating barriers.

'That's why we would not consider paying for any wall that puts barriers between our integration and competitiveness.'

Turning to abortion, Trump said he would appoint pro-life judges when decisions about abortion were being re-examined.

He says he is pro-life himself.

Since 1973 abortion laws have applied to all states.

If this law is overturned, Trump says individual states will be able to decide if women will be able to access abortions or not.

If they can't in their home states, Trump says "they'll have to go to another state".

Same-sex marriage has Trump's backing. He says he's "fine" with it.

Source

• Daily Mail
• Daily Mail
• Human Rights Campaign
• Image: Geo Image

Donald Trump speaks about Mexican border, abortion, gay marriage]]> 89381 https://cathnews.co.nz/2016/11/11/us-catholic-bishops-conference-kurtz/ Thu, 10 Nov 2016 16:07:23 +0000 https://cathnews.co.nz/?p=89221

US Catholic Bishops' Conference president, Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, is looking forward to holding pro-life discussions with the new US President-elect. He also indicated in his congratulatory speech to Donald Trump that the Church is hoping to make some changes to policies affecting migrants and refugees. Kurtz set the tone for his congratulations early in his Read more

Religion was a big player in this election. In a country where over a fifth of the population identifies as Catholic, the majority voted for Trump.

This was a big swing from the previous two elections when Catholics by and large voted for President Barak Obama.

Exit polls also suggest the President-elect may have "carried the largest evangelical vote in history".

About a quarter of Americans belonged to evangelical Christian faiths in 2011 according to a poll.

Four out of five white evangelicals said they voted for Trump. Evangelicals of colour, who represent two-fifths of all evangelical Americans supported Hillary Clinton before the election.

However, reports suggest Clinton showed up badly when Hispanic and African American evangelicals compared her with the outgoing Obama.

Meanwhile, Trump deliberately set out to corral white Christian America. Unlike Clinton, who overlooked the evangelical sector, Trump chased them during the months leading up to the election.

Like Obama, he realised their vote would count.

His running mate, Mike Pence, also realised the Catholic vote was on offer.

He saw that abortion would be a sticking point for the Catholic community.

Clinton came out as being strongly pro-abortion. Pence, on the other hand, defended the unborn in his debate with the Republican Senator Tim Kaine

The Clinton campaign also overlooked poorer white citizens. Trump picked up on their dissatisfaction.

He encouraged them to vote - to vote for change. To vote for him.

Unemployment, flat incomes, rising health care costs and poor health outcomes were topics he brought to their attention.

Their interest sparked and along with the white Christian majority they turned out and voted in high numbers.

Trump's victory speech remembered his voters, promising to be "President for all of Americans".

Source

• National Catholic Register
• CT
• Quartz
• Wikipedia
• Virtue Online
• Image: Alwaght.com