Fr. Jack is currently in Peru meeting with personnel in Santa Clotilde, Iquitos, and Lima. He and the leadership team of the non-governmental organization (NGO) called PANGO are planning for the future of the health center at Santa Clotilde. Do a web search for “Rio Napo: Socio-cultural context of the Centro de Salud Santa Clotilde.” There you will find several videos on YouTube which feature the people and the work at the clinics and in the villages along the Rio Napo (Napo River). Pray for them as they search for doctors and administrative professionals who will serve the people.

     In recent weeks I have written about the immigration issues that are daily in the news. Furthermore, I have raised questions about the related rhetoric and attitudes which are notable for their lack of compassion, especially as they come from persons who claim to be Christian, even Catholic. We must not dismiss the other, the “outsider,” the foreigner, the stranger, etc. as if they are less valuable than we.

     The moral principles which undergird the prohibitions against racism and prejudice (literally “pre-judging”) are found in Jesus’ own welcome to the stranger and ministry to those beyond his Jewish community. He demonstrates that he follows the prophets who exhorted the people to care for the widow and orphan, and to welcome the alien stranger. Those groups were most vulnerable and to them, too, Jesus was sent. Indeed, when scripture states that Jesus preaches Good News to the poor, we can conclude that the most vulnerable were among the first for whom he came.

     I want to invite everyone to take a breath in the midst of the frenzy of accusations, border defense, headlines, lies, mistreatment of vulnerable children and parents, etc. and remember who we are. We are not FOX News followers. We are not MSNBC or CNN followers. We are not followers of pundit X or Y. We are followers of Christ! Followers of Christ defend and advocate for vulnerable people – for the unborn and the already born; for the young and the elderly; for poor and for those who are searching for stability. 

     Catholic Christians must be wise and discerning. We do not exercise our rights as citizens of a country, or enact a political agenda, or follow political leaders having first set our faith aside. We are first and last Daughters and Sons of God by Baptism! We are to be prepared to set everything else aside in order to be faithful Catholics.

 Peace, Fr. Andy