Stewards promote justice for all

By Karen Johnston

	Stewardship Stewardship: A Way of Life is the diocesan thrust. It invites Catholics to acknowledge that all of life is a gift of God and to respond through prayer, service and sharing. This series will look at ways to do that.

"...For I was a stranger and you welcomed me" (Matthew 25:35).

In recent months, as director of Catholic Charities, I have been asked to respond to a growing number of letters sent to the Bishop or the diocesan website decrying the involvement of the church with immigrants and refugees.

In replying to people's concerns it is good to place the church's response in the context of Scripture and Catholic Social Teachings. As people of faith we are informed of what our attitudes should be toward those who are different from us. Each of us is called daily to actively live out our faith through acts of charity and justice. This includes advocacy for immigrants, some of the newest arrivals to our country.

In October of 2005, the Catholic Bishops, along with many other faith-based leaders and organizations, issued a statement calling for comprehensive reform of our nation's immigration policies. Encouraging a safe and just system for welcoming immigrants and calling each of us to reach out to our brothers and sisters with love and compassion, this statement reminded us that our call to welcome is strongly rooted in our scriptural and moral teachings.

In the Old Testament (Exodus 23:9) we are reminded "not to oppress the stranger, you know how a stranger feels, for you have lived as strangers in the land of Egypt." And in Leviticus 19:32-34: If a stranger lives with you in your land, do not molest him. You must count him as one of your own countryman and love him as yourself..."

In Matthew's Gospel we hear the story of the Holy Family's flight into Egypt to escape the political turmoil of Herod. We hear in the parables of Jesus from the Gospels, a call to be people of compassion and understanding. And finally, we hear of the experience of the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-15) where they became witnesses to the truth by welcoming the stranger who was Christ.

In recent years, our own bishops have written on the need for immigration reform and welcoming the strangers in our land. In the pastoral letter: "Strangers no Longer: A Journey of Hope," our own bishops call us to hold true to the rich faith traditions that grew from our own immigrant experiences. They remind us of the rich body of Catholic social teaching which is derived from the Gospels and the words of Christ; statements and encyclicals of the popes and pastoral letters of bishops around the world.

Pope John Paul II reaffirmed the rights of people to emigrate and take up residence in a new place, particularly when there are just reasons for people to leave their homeland and seek economic security and support of their families in another place (World Congress on the Pastoral Care of Immigrants (1985).

Tempering our desire to secure our borders and at the same time be true to the traditions of our faith is the challenge before us as we discuss and encourage immigration reform.

We profess a faith that moves us to continue in our search for ways that connect us to God and with one another. It is the same faith professed by many around the world. It can easily transcend borders and call us to do what Yahweh asks of us: To act justly, to love tenderly, and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8).

(Johnston is director of Catholic Charities of the Green Bay Diocese.)