Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller of San Antonio in a 2018 file photo. (CNS photo/Bob Roller)
OFFICE FOR SOCIAL MINISTRY
“What I wish for people is to foster a culture of life because there are so many signs of a culture of death … How do we foster a culture of life?” (Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller, June 30, memorial Mass homily for 53 migrants found dead in San Antonio, Texas)
We continue to pray for those suffering in the Archdiocese of San Antonio, Texas, where many are still mourning back-to-back tragedies that have devastated their community in the past two months.
Nineteen students and two teachers were killed in the May 24 elementary school massacre in Uvalde. A month later, on June 27, 53 migrants lost their lives in what is considered the deadliest human smuggling case in U.S. history. The victims had traveled long distances from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador before being found dead or dying inside a broiling abandoned tractor-trailer on the outskirts of San Antonio’s southwest side. Forty men and 13 women, some young teenage girls, were fleeing violence and seeking a better future in America.
When he heard of the latest tragedy, Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller of San Antonio, Texas, rushed to the neighboring hospitals to visit the survivors and to bless those who had died. Jews, Muslims, Protestants, Catholics and Sikhs gathered for a memorial Mass at the San Antonio cathedral where the archbishop spoke passionately about the plight of migrants: “The exploitation of the poor, and in particular of migrants — who flee dramatic situations in search of opportunities and hope — is particularly grave.”
He quoted the book of Exodus: “You shall not oppress or afflict a resident alien, for you were once aliens residing in the land of Egypt. If ever you wrong them and they cry out to me, I will surely listen to their cry.”
He condemned “traders of death who consider lives as merchandise and ultimately as collateral damage.” He called for immigration reform: “It is not permissible for anyone in our society to remain idle and look the other way in the face of the humanitarian crisis caused by unregulated migration. We all have a role to play in solidarity with people fleeing in search of opportunities for development.”
Pope Francis also expressed his closeness to the victims of the horrific events: “I sorrowfully heard the news of the tragedy of the migrants in Texas. Let us pray together for these brothers and sisters who died following their hope of a better life; and for ourselves, may the Lord open our hearts so these misfortunes never happen again.”
Archbishop Garcia-Siller poetically expressed what the Catholic Church and the pope have often emphasized. “Immigration … is like a stream of water. If it is not given a channel, it finds it naturally. … Migration is a natural human right. Likewise, the receiving country has the right and the duty to regulate it. Politics — rightly understood — is the opposite of ideological confrontation. It is one of the highest forms of charity. It is a path that begins by loving our closest neighbor in order to be able to love even those we do not know.”
The chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration, Bishop Mario Dorsonville, added to the pope’s and archbishop’s reflections with this compelling statement: “This is a tragic loss of life and a harrowing depiction of the extreme risks assumed by migrants out of sheer desperation. With deep sadness, I join Archbishop García-Siller in praying for strength, mercy and understanding during this difficult time, especially for the survivors of this horrific incident.
“I also unite with Pope Francis in asking the Lord to ‘open our hearts so these misfortunes never happen again.’ Unfortunately, this disregard for the sanctity of human life is all too common in the context of migration. As a church called to build a culture of life, we cannot tolerate this injustice. Instead, we must recognize that we are brothers and sisters, each imbued with God-given dignity.
“To prevent further loss of life, we urge governments and civil society to promote access to protection, including asylum, develop new pathways for those compelled to migrate, and combat human trafficking in all its forms.”
Here in Hawaii, the Catholic Church collaborates with community partners to provide vital services with migrants and refugees. We are all called to together promote and build this “culture of life.” For more information on this, please visit our website officeforsocialministry.org.
Mahalo,
Your friends at the Office for Social Ministry
