Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 

It should be obvious that many topics and situations in life are immensely complicated. There are situations that are so complex with so many moving parts that even good attempts to address the situation can change the situation so much that the attempt can become no longer good or helpful. And choosing to do nothing is still an action that prolongs the problem and the suffering that is and that will occur. Delaying any action at all until a perfect solution can be achieved is basically the same as choosing to do nothing, since there will be no perfect solution to which everyone can agree. Acting just for the sake of doing something without understanding how that action will affect the situation is also dangerous and can exacerbate the problem. When things are this complex any action will likely have its benefits and detriments in different aspects, and different groups will disagree on which aspects are more important and should receive more benefits.

 

We currently face many such situations both locally and nationally. The entire All Things New Planning Process is trying to address an extremely complicated situation, and the actions taken through it will have positives and negatives. And implementing those plans will alter other aspects in various (and sometimes unexpected) ways that will then need to be addressed as well.

 

Another major situation we face is in regard to immigration and border enforcement. Any discussion on the matter needs to recognize that individuals have rights to seek safety and to receive just treatment in accord with their innate human dignity, while also recognizing that nations have the right and obligation to regulate their borders and determine who can enter, and how and when they enter. Any real discussion or solution on the topic cannot focus on one aspect to the effective exclusion of the other. Add in all the other variables such as the safety issues, cultural issues, economic issues, legal and political issues, along with so many more, and it just gets more and more complicated.

 

It disheartens me to see so many people approach this multifaceted issue as though the answer is simple or to completely dismiss proposed solutions because they are not perfect or do not line up exactly the way they might want. Our country very obviously needs serious immigration reform, and the Church and our bishops have been calling for that reform for over two decades. Very little reform has been done in that time, largely due to political issues and an unwillingness of either side to ‘give a victory’ to the other side. As Catholics, we should not look at the issue from a solely political lens. We should honestly recognize the different goods either side is trying to achieve, while also understanding the (sometimes very serious) negative consequences those goals might have. Above all, we should promote the teachings of the Catholic Church on these social issues, and oppose anything that might violate those teachings – even and especially if it comes from ‘your’ side of the political aisle.

 

Peace in Christ,

Father Timothy