As the month of May draws to a close, the calendar brings us to the Feast of the Visitation. A few years ago, a
young author named Brandon Vogt made a case
that the memorial of this event is an opportunity for Catholics of diverse viewpoints and perspectives to unite around the common social mission of the Church.
He wrote, “
If we want to flourish, we need all that the Visitation offers: we need humble prayer, we need to dwell with the poor (to know them, not just serve them), and we must notice the dignity of all, including the most vulnerable among us.” May this visit, that produces the Magnificat, be a clarion call for each of us to unite our efforts to ensure that the hungry are fed and that mercy prevails.
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CALL TO ACTION:
ADVOCATE FOR VULNERABLE DURING COVID-19
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Bishops On Racial Disparity and Xenophobia
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
released a brief statement
on May 4, 2020, acknowledging the disproportionate impact the coronavirus has had on African American communities. The next day, chairmen from many of the same committees condemned xenophobia in a
public statement
, saying, “
While we continue to pray fervently for an end to the pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus, we call for a firm rejection of racial categorizations or presumptions, racially based verbal assaults or slurs, and for an end to all forms of violence.”
ACTION: Sign onto Catholic Statement of Solidarity
Across the country, families and advocates for those who are incarcerated and detained have communicated urgent concern about the susceptibility of people confined in close quarters to infectious disease. Officials in San Diego, CA,
reported the death
of
Carlos Escobedo Mejia on May 7 in
what seemed to be the first confirmed case coming from an immigrant detention center. Attorneys and activists have called for application of the “
medically vulnerable standard” and for those with non-violent offenses to be released.
The Catholic Mobilizing Network and other national organizations recently
issued a statement of solidarity
with those behind bars, explaining that the challenges are many, namely:
Limited resources for preventative measures, protective equipment, and health care can create conditions that allow the virus to wreak havoc. Reports of lack of testing suggest measurements of the impact of the virus are incomplete.
The statement reads: “
We are deeply concerned that experiencing COVID-19 from behind bars could, for some, mean a
de facto
death sentence.”
Since the statement was released, nearly 1,000 people of faith have signed on, including more than 40 Catholic dioceses, religious congregations, ministries, and organizations.
You can join CMSM in signing onto the Statement of Solidarity
to stand with our brothers and sisters battling COVID-19 in prisons, jails, and detention and reentry centers.
Click the link below to add yourself as an individual or as an organization.
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Religious, Others Successfully Advocate for Release
While national efforts grow, targeted work continues in parishes and neighborhoods and has allowed some at-risk individuals have been able to return to their communities. For example, in Philadelphia,
two immigrant detainees were released
in late March after successful advocacy on their behalf.
One man, a parishioner at St. Thomas Aquinas parish, was considered to be at high
risk because of a medical history of diabetes, cholesterol, high blood pressure, and hepatitis B. His paris
h community, Vincentian Father Kurniawan Diputra, CM, chaplain of the archdiocesan Indonesia
n Catholic community, legal team, donors, and local activists mobilized for several months for his release after he and his wife were swept up in an
ICE raid in the neighborhood
.
The application of the medically vulnerable standard, enforced by a lawsuit filing by the ACLU, brought him home.
CMSM Prays
CMSM is praying for religious affected by COVID-19. The
CMSM prayer list
includes affected communities of our members, and names of some who have died from COVID-19. Click the page to add a name or email
prayers@cmsm.org
. (If sending an individual's name, please ensure his name may be shared publicly.)
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Environmental Justice
As the universal Catholic Church marked the fifth anniversary of
Laudato Si’
with the global week of action,
a roundup of stories reflect the continued emphasis on environmental justice:
- Pope Francis used the anniversary to launch a year long campaign from May 24, 2020 to May 24, 2021, citing the urgent need to consider the fragility of life on the planet and the interconnectedness of creation.
- One of his environmental advisers, Rev. Augusto Zampini, spoke about the link between the pandemic and ongoing reforms, explaining “Although COVID has highlighted the fragility of our food systems, it is still an opportunity to change, both in production and consumption patterns and in private and public actions.” He went on to say, “It is time for a deep and global ecological conversion."
- The Institute for Works of Religion, which coordinates banking infrastructure for the Vatican, verified that their holdings were not invested in fossil fuels.
- The Ignatian Solidarity Network, animated by the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola, offered a reflection from a parish in El Salvador that describes how the community there read the encyclical together and then acted for change. Lay missioner Peg Vámosy explained, “…we have reduced waste from single-use plastic, addressed water issues and, most recently, worked together with local and national government, community leaders, and farmers on developing a watershed management plan for one of our rivers.”
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Living the Call of Laudato Si’
As reported in the CMSM Laudato Si survey of members, Little Portion Farm grew its first crops in 2019, producing 3,136 pounds of vegetables on 1/4 acre of land. At the same time, they leased 80 acres to a local farmer for grazing cattle.
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Another fruit of “Care for Our Common Home” has come in the form of collaboration for the greater good.
The friars' JPIC Director Mike Lasky shared that the ministry established a relationship between friars in Shamokin, PA, the local community, and the EPA office of Environmental Justice to help reach the community's priority goals and create positive impacts on air, water, public health, economic vitality, and other quality of life needs of residents, particularly the vulnerable and underserved.
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ECONOMIC JUSTICE RESOURCE
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You can view the webinar
here
to learn from three Catholic economists:
Jesus Fernandez-Villaverde of the University of Pennsylvania, Joseph Kaboski from the University of Notre Dame, and Casey Mulligan at the University of Chicago.
The scholars took care to consider the value of human life, the unique vulnerabilities faced by some populations, and the possible re-scaling of decision-making that could improve outcomes for communities.
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Contact CMSM JPIC
7300 Hanover Drive, Suite 304 | Greenbelt, MD 20770 | 301.588.4030
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