The Pope is doubling down on his policy of putting the Catholic Church on those in the West advocating open borders:
Many destination countries have seen the spread of rhetoric decrying the risks posed to national security or the high cost of welcoming new arrivals, and thus demeaning the human dignity due to all as sons and daughters of God. Those who, for what may be political reasons, foment fear of migrants instead of building peace are sowing violence, racial discrimination and xenophobia, which are matters of great concern for all those concerned for the safety of every human being.[8]
All indicators available to the international community suggest that global migration will continue for the future. Some consider this a threat. For my part, I ask you to view it with confidence as an opportunity to build peace.
3. With a contemplative gaze
The wisdom of faith fosters a contemplative gaze that recognizes that all of us “belong to one family, migrants and the local populations that welcome them, and all have the same right to enjoy the goods of the earth, whose destination is universal, as the social doctrine of the Church teaches. It is here that solidarity and sharing are founded.”[9] These words evoke the biblical image of the new Jerusalem. The book of the prophet Isaiah (chapter 60) and that of Revelation (chapter 21) describe the city with its gates always open to people of every nation, who marvel at it and fill it with riches. Peace is the sovereign that guides it and justice the principle that governs coexistence within it.
We must also turn this contemplative gaze to the cities where we live, “a gaze of faith which sees God dwelling in their houses, in their streets and squares, […] fostering solidarity, fraternity, and the desire for goodness, truth and justice”[10] – in other words, fulfilling the promise of peace.
When we turn that gaze to migrants and refugees, we discover that they do not arrive empty-handed. They bring their courage, skills, energy and aspirations, as well as the treasures of their own cultures; and in this way, they enrich the lives of the nations that receive them. We also come to see the creativity, tenacity and spirit of sacrifice of the countless individuals, families and communities around the world who open their doors and hearts to migrants and refugees, even where resources are scarce.
A contemplative gaze should also guide the discernment of those responsible for the public good, and encourage them to pursue policies of welcome, “within the limits allowed by a correct understanding of the common good”[11] – bearing in mind, that is, the needs of all members of the human family and the welfare of each.
Those who see things in this way will be able to recognize the seeds of peace that are already sprouting and nurture their growth. Our cities, often divided and polarized by conflicts regarding the presence of migrants and refugees, will thus turn into workshops of peace.
4. Four mileposts for action
Offering asylum seekers, refugees, migrants and victims of human trafficking an opportunity to find the peace they seek requires a strategy combining four actions: welcoming, protecting, promoting and integrating.[12]
“Welcoming” calls for expanding legal pathways for entry and no longer pushing migrants and displaced people towards countries where they face persecution and violence. It also demands balancing our concerns about national security with concern for fundamental human rights. Scripture reminds us: “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”[13]
“Protecting” has to do with our duty to recognize and defend the inviolable dignity of those who flee real dangers in search of asylum and security, and to prevent their being exploited. I think in particular of women and children who find themselves in situations that expose them to risks and abuses that can even amount to enslavement. God does not discriminate: “The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the orphan and the widow.”[14]
“Promoting” entails supporting the integral human development of migrants and refugees. Among many possible means of doing so, I would stress the importance of ensuring access to all levels of education for children and young people. This will enable them not only to cultivate and realize their potential, but also better equip them to encounter others and to foster a spirit of dialogue rather than rejection or confrontation. The Bible teaches that God “loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.”[15]
“Integrating”, lastly, means allowing refugees and migrants to participate fully in the life of the society that welcomes them, as part of a process of mutual enrichment and fruitful cooperation in service of the integral human development of the local community. Saint Paul expresses it in these words: “You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people.”[16]
Go here to read the rest. In this debate the Pope enters the political field, as there is nothing in Church doctrine that mandates that governments allow illegal aliens to enter their country. The traditional teaching of the Church is actually quite the reverse. Like a partisan politician, he refuses to acknowledge the manifest problems that have been created by massive illegal immigration from the Islamic world, especially in Italy, and demonizes those who have spoken out about such problems. Catholics have a right to expect better from their Pope.
Some common sense for a man I’m sure the Pope will try to get rid of:
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/cardinal-sarah-some-people-exploit-the-word-of-god-to-promote-multicultural
What we should expect from out bishops and what we get from them are nowadays quite distant from each other.
And it’s flagrantly silly. You had mass refugee flows in 2015 because characters like Angela Merkel and Barack Obama sent political signals indicating they would be cared for and other governments lacked the cojones to defend their borders and turn the immivasion back. There is nothing preventing them being cared for in the conventional manner in camps proximate to their countries of origin. You need sanitation engineers to get to work in camps in Turkey and Jordan, not to transport your sanitation problem to Calais or Maalmo.
He’s also neglecting the special problems posed by Levantine Arabs as refugees. There’s a reason Silesian Germans were resettled after 1945 and Greek Cypriots after 1974 and we here no more of them. They’re a more tractable and productive population than that which landed on the UNRWA dole. Germans are learning the hard way that these folks are not overflowing with human capital.
Its just disgusting. The man strikes these stupid poses, wagging his finger at people who have to deal with the social mess in real time.
I pay this Pope no attention and I contribute no money to his church. It’s as simple as that.
Vatican City, all one hundred and nine acres of it, could be a refreshing camp for the refugees.
While there they could receive the Catholic instruction, even his Holiness could find time to squeeze in a lesson or two. Driving in a small car is poetic, but opening the entire Vatican to Islam is non other than Pope Francis at his best.
What say you Francis?
(………crickets chirping………)
The Holy See had an ample population of refugees camped out on its properties during the war, the work of the ‘silent’ Pius XII.
I’m not wishing to paint with a large brush and because the Koran is not inspired by the God St. Paul mentioned; “…. fellow citizens with God’s people,” it’s interesting that integration will come at a price. Yes, only a very small amount of Muslims are radicalized, however the prime objective is world domination by means that are contrary to Christian values and it’s Spirit of conversion through understanding and love is not to be found in Jihad. If integration is absent of Christian teaching or it’s outreach then it feels like the Pope is opening the doors for the wolves to enter in.
They love sheep. Eating them, that is.
Are we able to completely vet every refugee perfectly. Nope. Never.
So are we willing to sacrifice a few sheep at the claws of the wolves?
As long as the sacrificial lambs are not your daughters, your sisters or your other loved ones.
Pope Francis must recognize the threat posed, or is the tint too rosy in his lenses?
“Catholics have a right to expect better from their Pope.”
Pope Francis has sovereign temporal power over Vatican City and St. Peters which the Muslims have promised to turn into a mosque. The “new Jerusalem” is a transcendent city for which sovereign persons strive but which will not have been accomplished until after mankind passes from this “valley of tears”.
The War for Independence was fought when the sovereign King George III quartered personnel in private homes and on private property in the colonies.
To what purpose will those refugees fleeing terrorism come when they will be mass murdered in their new country?
The “new Jerusalem” has not yet come and it will be late in coming if the terrorists are given a free hand.
Only sovereign persons deserving of asylum must be allowed to enter our sovereign nation. Terrorists and invaders will not protect immigrants nor build the city of God, even with Pope Francis on their side.
“Catholics have a right to expect better from their Pope.“
Problem is many, if not most, well-meaning Catholic lack the capacity to exercise that right. One, they are too ignorant to understand the very principles that guide proper Catholic thinking on these subjects and they are abetted by a Church hierarchy more interested in a political agenda than they are with their proper teaching office. This is compounded by the fact that some of these particular members of the hierarchy are treated with cult-like adulation by Catholics who should really know better.
Pope Francis is bent on destroying the fabric of society and the Catholic Church prior to establishing the New World Order fueled by anarchy and chaos. Now, wouldn’t we expect the same strategy from the devil?
The majority of refugees fleeing their homelands are economic refugees. That is, they don’t seek asylum from danger and potential death, they seek a better economic life for their family. The reason their identity is unknown when they enter a foreign land is because they destroy their ID and any paperwork that indicates who they are.
I’m always using Australia as an example (and I apologise for doing so), but we are a clear example of a country who struggles to deal with these economic refugees. The Australian government put them in detention centres offshore on Manus Island whilst trying to process their case and identify who they truly were and if they could be brought safely into Australian society- all at the expense of Australian tax dollars of course.
The government is now in the process, after many years, of shutting the detention centres. As a result, the detainees have caused unspeakable destruction to the centre and are refusing to leave. During their lovely holiday on Manus Island, they were found to have raped minors, terrorised the locals, bought alcohol and cigarettes, preyed on children and destroyed public property. Again, whilst on the pay-books of the Australian government.
I doubt many of these illegal aliens are truely in danger if they returned home.
BUT, If the case was true of those refugees which are fleeing danger, then it is up to countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE which should be taking them in and offering them assylum. After all, it is better that they re-settle in lands which have the same religion of which they are.
Having said this, it is then up to the Western countries to offer refuge to Christians who are genuinely running for their lives. No countries needs to apologise for this discrimination, as it is in the best interest of its citizens which it is responsible to keep safe.
And the Vatican should be the first to open their doors to their fellow Christian brothers and sisters.