CMSM Items of Note: Justice & Peace Edition

March 21, 2024

The intense drama of Holy Week is just around the corner, yet even now Christ suffers in the bodies of innocent victims of war around the world and goes hungry in refugees who flee from war zones. The prophet Isaiah long ago called for weapons to be reforged into tools of civilization (Isaiah 2:4). May Holy Week awaken in us, and the world, the will to make that vision a reality.

Member Content

CMSM is pleased to announce a compilation of JPIC resources available for JPIC coordinators or leaders of communities in the new Member Content area of our website. If you are interested in gaining access to these resources, please email David Rohrer Budiash for instructions on how to sign up.

News

Religious Brothers Freed in Haiti; USCCB calls for Support

In late February, six religious brothers of the Sacred Heart and a lay teacher were kidnapped as violence and unrest continue to dominate Haiti. Four of the six were released, and Pope Francis called for the others to be released.

Meanwhile, Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, chairman of the International Committee of Justice and Peace at the USCCB, expressed solidarity with the people of Haiti and its bishops. He commended the United States government for allotting $300 million in aid to Haiti and urged international actors to find a way to address issues that have destabilized the country.

Central American bishops to address migration crisis in Darien jungle

The bishops' conferences of Colombia, Panama, and Costa Rica, along with other religious and Caritas leaders, will meet from March 19–22 in Panama City to address the migration crisis caused by hundreds of thousands crossing the Darien jungle towards the United States. This meeting, initiated by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, aims to tackle the issues migrants face on the 2,600-mile journey. Over 520,000 individuals, including a significant number of minors, traversed the dangerous Darien Gap from Colombia to Panama in 2023, marking a 110% increase from 2022. Most of these migrants are Venezuelans, followed by Ecuadorians, Haitians, Chinese, Colombians, and nationals from various countries. Archbishop José Domingo Ulloa emphasized the goal of raising awareness about the dangers migrants face, including exploitation by traffickers and difficult conditions in the jungle.

Read more here.

Panel discusses sisters' efforts to eliminate human trafficking worldwide

An online panel co-hosted by Georgetown University highlighted efforts by religious sisters worldwide to combat trafficking, emphasizing its global reach and the vulnerability of migrants to such exploitation. The panel identified poverty and forced migration as significant drivers of trafficking, with victims often lured by false job promises, leading to sexual exploitation, forced labor, and organ removal. Efforts to counteract trafficking include educating potential migrants on safe migration, offering shelter and job training to victims, and advocating for supportive legislation to protect vulnerable populations.

The worldwide organization led by religious sisters to fight human trafficking is Talitha Kum; in the United States, the Alliance to End Human Trafficking is a member of Talitha Kum and is supported by more than 100 congregations of sisters.

Pope Francis encourages ceasefire in Israel-Hamas war

On March 3, 2024, Pope Francis, in his Angelus address, forcefully called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas war, encouraging negotiations for the swift release of hostages and provision of humanitarian aid to civilians. He expressed deep sorrow over the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, highlighting the severe human toll and destruction over five months of warfare. The Pope's appeal coincided with negotiations for a week-long ceasefire.

Lenten Ceasefire Campaign Culminates in DC March

Several men’s religious communities, including the Franciscan Action Network and the Maryknoll Office of Global Concerns, have supported the Lenten Ceasefire campaign. The campaign has taken a series of nonviolent actions to urge an end to hostilities in the Israel-Gaza conflict. The final event of the campaign will be a march on the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 21.