Persecuted
February, among other things, is Black History Month in the United States. Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln were born in February and thus it was chosen to remember and learn black history. Douglass was born into a slave family and escaped at age 20. He became famous for his abolitionist writings and speeches. He was an advisor to President Lincoln. Lincoln declared freedom for all slaves in the Emancipation Proclamation which took effect on January 1, 1863.
Of course, making slavery illegal did not mean that black people were free from discrimination. More than 100 years later the Civil Rights Act outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Today, all people are protected by this law. Still, discriminatory acts and speech occur in our present day. As a people, even as a religious people, we have work to do in order to overcome racism and discrimination.
In recent weeks the President Trump’s administration has introduced executive orders which suspend issuance of visas and other immigration benefits to nationals of seven predominantly Muslim countries for 90 days; indefinitely suspends resettlement of refugees from Syria, which is also predominantly Muslim, subject to a possible exception for those who are "religious minorities" in their home countries and facing religious persecution; and suspends virtually the entire U.S. refugee resettlement program for 120 days, also subject to a possible exception for such "religious minorities.”
As a nation the United States has a long history of welcoming refugees and immigrants. The Catholic Church has played a major part in facilitating their welcome. Bishops Mitchell Rozanski, William Lori, and Oscar Cantu, all chairmen of various bishops’ conference committees wrote the following on January 31, 2017:
In response to the Order, we join with other faith leaders to stand in solidarity again with those affected by this order, especially our Muslim sisters and brothers. We also express our firm resolution that the Order's stated preference for "religious minorities" should be applied to protect not only Christians where they are a minority, but all religious minorities who suffer persecution, which includes Yazidis, Shia Muslims in majority Sunni areas, and vice versa. While we also recognize that the United States government has a duty to protect the security of its people, we must nevertheless employ means that respect both, religious liberty for all, and the urgency of protecting the lives of those who desperately flee violence and persecution. It is our conviction as followers of the Lord Jesus that welcoming the stranger and protecting the vulnerable lie at the core of the Christian life. And so, to our Muslim brothers and sisters and all people of faith, we stand with you and welcome you (USCCB website, press release 1/31/17).
Peace Fr. Andy