Chris Kelly Opinion: Humanity is not an immigration status
If my choices for a faith-based perspective on the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants are a Jesuit pope and a recent convert to Catholicism whose beard clashes with his mascara, I'm going with the pope.
In a Tuesday letter to American bishops, Pope Francis acknowledged a state's right to protect its citizens against 'those who have committed violent or serious crimes while in the country or prior to arrival,' but denounced the blanket condemnation of undocumented immigrants as criminals.
This general defamation 'damages the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families, and places them in a state of particular vulnerability and defenselessness,' the pope wrote. Francis also rebuked Vice President JD Vance's invocation of 'ordo amoris' ('order of charity') as an excuse to love only the neighbors who look, speak and pray like you, and only when convenient.
'Ordo amoris' is a relic of medieval times, when popes had armies and conversion by conquest was a 'holy' imperative. It is often cherry-picked by alleged Christians in need of cover to act in obvious defiance of the gospel of Jesus.
Pope Francis isn't having it. This is what happens when you elect a Jesuit to the earthly throne of Christianity.
The consequences of national policies play out at the local level. So do community countermeasures. The Scranton Area Multifaith Ministerium is taking a faith-based approach to support area migrants, hosting a prayer vigil Monday at 5 p.m. on Courthouse Square in Scranton. Leaders of all major faiths and social justice advocates will gather to affirm the humanity and dignity of all people, regardless of their citizenship or immigration status.
'There's been a lot of misinformation and fear regarding immigrants and refugees,' said Julie Schumacher Cohen, assistant vice president of community engagement and government affairs at the University of Scranton.
'There has not been a perspective of faith leaders, so we really wanted to come together and show the perspective of community members who are faithful. We want it to be a time of solidarity, for people to be able to come together, especially to remind people of the wonderful and rich contributions of immigrants and refugees, which is not new to Scranton. It's really a big part of the history of the city.'
Julie was one voice in a Thursday Zoom meeting that included her husband, Will Cohen, a theology professor at the University of Scranton; Alexandra Marroquin, a community organizer; Sister Donna Korba, IHM, director of justice, peace and integrity of creation; Jenny Gonzales, director of the S.T.A.R.S. program at Marywood University; and Fikile Ryder, director of community for immigration and refugee resettlement for Catholic Social Services. I'm grateful for their time and wisdom and hope to keep the conversation going.
'This is not a protest,' Sister Donna said of Monday's vigil. 'This is the Catholic faith, different Christian faiths, the Jewish community and the Islamic community and others coming together to make a connection between what we believe God asks of us and our response to that in this particular situation in which we're living.'
The vigil isn't about politics, either, Will Cohen said. It's about people who have been 'othered' so relentlessly, their humanity is obscured from millions of Americans.
'We're not advocating for or discussing policy at this event, but there are certain principles and there's an important spirit that's been missing from a lot of the public discourse and that's the humanity and the dignity of every person,' he said. 'And when we turn this into abstract issues and ideologies that get away from the person and start to scapegoat or put grand narratives on groups of people, we really lose our way.'
I speak as a sinner guilty of the same generalized defamation Pope Francis condemned. In a recent Sunday column, I wrote: 'Undocumented immigrants are, by definition, illegal immigrants. Calling them 'undocumented' creates a distinction without a difference. They broke the law when they crossed the border. Pretending that isn't so only feeds the prejudice against them … '
A wise old friend called me on it. Under federal law, undocumented presence alone is not a crime, according to the American Civil Liberties Union and federal sources. 'Illegal' is too broad a brush that unfairly paints all undocumented people as criminals. I meant no harm but managed to do some, anyway. I regret the error and promised my Zoom guests to do better.
Jenny Gonzales said dropping 'illegal' is a good place to start.
'They are undocumented,' she said. 'One way to show solidarity is being careful with the words we choose, because, again, we're trying to respect the humanity and dignity of the individual. … So, me personally, the child of immigrants, I am trying my best to rephrase it, like, 'people without lawful immigration status' rather than the adjective being behind the person, the individual. Because then you're categorizing people, and that's exactly what we're trying not to do.'
Jenny, who mentors first-generation Latinos and college students, said many are afraid about what may happen to undocumented family members. Fikile Ryder, who was born in Zimbabwe and is now a U.S. citizen, said the threat of ICE raids has spread fear in the community.
'Some people are really afraid to even leave their homes now because they don't know what's going to happen to them,' she said. 'As for the (vigil), some are coming and some are unsure, but we let them know that this is the community showing emotional support for refugees and immigrants as well. So this is an opportunity to show them that they are not alone and that there are other people who care about their struggles as well.'
I asked the group whether there was a question I should ask but hadn't. Alejandra Marroquin, a native of Guatemala who's been living in the United States for 20 years, said listening is the best way to learn.
'It's really about opening your heart and having an open mind to listen to other people who may have a completely different experience than you or anyone else around you,' she said. 'It's about seeing them as a human being and listening to them. … Because when you start with, 'Tell me about yourself,' they will share whatever is in their heart with you. And if that happens more often, then we will be at a different stage where we are in the community. We really want to bring a message of hope and getting to know each other at a human level.'
It's easy to write off people you don't know, Sister Donna said. Lawmakers in Washington, D.C. rarely see the impacts of their actions firsthand.
'I invite elected officials to come and sit and look into the faces and have conversations with real people,' she said. 'When you look into someone's eyes, your heart has to be touched. … In Washington, it's very easy to look at someone as an object. But my question is, 'Do you really know anyone who is going to be affected by the laws you're trying to make or revoke?'
'Come sit in our church next to someone, a family, and you realize that mom, that dad loves their child just as much as you love yours. Come and look into the face of the children, of the people. When hearts can touch hearts, I think that makes a big difference in recognizing everyone's dignity as a human being.
'No matter what your faith is, no matter what your color is. No matter which country you come from, we are here.'
Preach, Sister!
The vigil is open to the public. It begins at 5 p.m. Monday on Courthouse Square in Scranton.
CHRIS KELLY, the Times-Tribune columnist, isn't a Catholic but he loves Jesuits. Contact the writer: ckelly@scrantontimes.com; @cjkink on X; Chris Kelly, The Times-Tribune on Facebook.
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