Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of Dicastery for the Service of the Integral Human Development of the Vatican, said Monday that many people are “terrified” by the “repression” of the United States government against immigration and the suspension of aid programs administered by The Catholic Church.
The purple declared in an interview with Associated Press, Published on February 10that US government measures that affect both immigration policy and international aid programs are causing serious damage to vulnerable populations.
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“Repression is a terrible way to administer issues and much less to administer justice,” said Canadian Jesuit of Czech origin. “I deeply regret that many people are being hurt and, in fact, terrified by these measures.”
Cardinal’s statements coincided with a hard criticism of Cáritas Internacional, which on Monday He condemned vigorously which described as “the reckless decision of the US government to abruptly close programs and offices funded by USAID worldwide.”
Cáritas warned: “The USAID suspension will endanger essential services for hundreds of millions of people, will undermine decades in humanitarian assistance and development, destabilize regions that depend on this critical support and condemn millions of dehumanizing poverty or even the death”.
Catholic Relief Services, the main help agency of the Catholic Church in the United States and one of the USAID beneficiaries, has already expressed concern about the impact of these measures.
Cardinal Czerny also pointed out that smaller Catholic programs are being affected.
The Vatican official stressed the teaching of Pope Francis that the care of migrants and vulnerable people is a fundamental Christian duty.
“What the Church teaches is very summarized by Pope Francis, who says that our obligation, not only as Christians but as human beings, is to welcome people, protect, promote them and integrate them,” he said.
The Jesuit Cardinal is the last of several prelates who have expressed his opinion on the changes in the migration policy of the United States, which have been criticized as unfair by numerous Catholic leaders, including Pope Francis.
On February 7, the Archbishop of Kansas City, Mons. Joseph F. Naumann, said that “the Church does not have the authority or responsibility to determine the legal status of those who live in the United States”, but it does have “the obligation to Treat each person with respect and love, regardless of their citizenship status. ”
At the same time, Kansas Archbishop expressed his firm support for the priority of addressing public security threats in the application of immigration laws.
Translated and adapted by ACI Press. Originally published in CNA.
AC Wimmer
AC Wimmer is a founder in the founder of CNA Deutsch. This Australian polyglot, raised in Bavaria and South Africa, occupied high positions in the SBS of Australia and was editor in chief of the historic Münchner Kirchenzeitung. Bachelor of Chinese Philosophy and Studies from the University of Melbourne, Anian Christoph Wimmer – Chinese Name 刘威猛 – He was part of the jury of the Media Prize of the German Episcopal Conference, he is a former honorary researcher in communications of the University of Melbourne and was part of the Caritas Council in Munich.