The Bishop Writes

(From the July 5, 2001 edition of the Inland Register)

The Fourth of July celebration gives us the opportunity to express gratitude to God for many blessings in this nation. We are reminded of the many who have gone before us sacrificing their lives for the common good, especially for the freedom we enjoy. On the other hand, we also have serious responsibility for our nation right now, to participate in the political process, and to sacrifice ourselves for the building up of the entire community of our nation.

The temptation to rugged individualism is ever present. The caring for the most vulnerable and needy in our midst must continue to be of utmost concern as we look to the future. Housing, health care, meaningful employment, restorative justice, transportation needs, support of family, and care for the elderly are some areas that need attention and appropriate action. Complexity adds to the challenge but should never give reason to back away from addressing our responsibility as citizens.

The United States continues to be the land of opportunity. Some people pay tens of thousands of dollars to get here illegally. People smuggling has become a huge business. A recent article in Time discusses the situation of our Southern border. Somehow we must find realistic and just solutions to the increasing presence of the undocumented in our country. Several areas of our economy are dependent upon this source of labor. The National Catholic Rural Life Conference has recently initiated a campaign titled “Eating is a moral act.” Constantly we must ask ourselves how we support those who make available our relatively cheap food in our nation. Bishop Sevilla of Yakima recently wrote an op-ed piece for the Yakima Herald Republic on this very matter.

Our national responsibility does not end with ourselves. We must consider ourselves as neighbors to the world community. Recently the U.S. Catholic bishops issued a pastoral statement on “Global Solidarity.” I would hope that soon the political rhetoric would cease that we are interested only in situations if it is in our national interest. No longer can we be this myopic in our sensitivities nor does it express the true Christian spirit that in this global village we are our brother’s and sister’s keeper. We are the world’s large arms supplier to other nations, but amongst the industrialized nations of the world, we have been weak in granting international aid.

Recently in his World Day of Peace message, Pope John Paul II indicated that the nations of the world are not so much plagued by international hostility but by intra-nation rivalries and hostilities. Ethnic, religious, political and inter tribal conflicts are plaguing many nations of the world. Countries like Guatemala, El Salvador, Columbia, Sudan, Israel and those in the Balkans are examples of deeply bitter and long lasting conflicts, some of them having gone on for generations. We cannot wash our hands of these situations or be interested only in those parts of the world where we think we might have some strategic interest.

Sometimes it seems respect for human rights takes a back seat to other priorities. Third world debt continues to plague some of the poorest nations. A great nation internally needs also to be a great nation to the world community by way of assistance, support, advocacy, and at times, challenge. We have made such tremendous strides technologically in ways that we know so well. Can we not use our skill, expertise, and resources to help the world community to become a better place to live as the human family? Of course, no one can be naïve about the difficulty of this challenge. We can and should come across to the world family not as the super power but as a deeply concerned, generous, and respectful neighbor.

The social teaching of the Church can assist us in this resolve. So this Fourth of July once again gives us the opportunity to celebrate and give thanks. This national holiday should also be for us in this nation a time of prayer as we face the future. We need wisdom, courage and vision. May the Holy Spirit guide us in helping to create a new world community in which we all will live in justice, peace and joy.

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