Trump's Policies, Latino Priorities, and Catholic Perspectives
By Brendan Stelmach
Today’s Catholic America is more diverse than ever. Currently, there are more than 30 million Latino Catholics in America, representing the majority faith of all United States Latinos. An increasing number of ordained priests and deacons identify as Hispanic, a fact which demonstrates the expanding Latino representation in Church Leadership[1]. Additionally, one in four Catholic parishes celebrate at least one weekly Mass in Spanish, reflecting the influence of Latino Catholics beyond their traditional parishes [2]. By most indications, this should be a great period in the history of American Catholicism’s growing inclusivity. Yet, the political rhetoric in the nation seems to be moving away from inclusion especially with regard to the Latino community.
Several recent executive orders have targeted vulnerable Latino communities within and outside the United States. The first and most visible of these presidential actions has been support for the construction of a border wall aimed at stifling migration between the United States and Mexico. This order has been compounded by several other proclamations that call for more aggressive immigration and customs enforcement practices towards undocumented immigrants as well as funding cuts for cities or states that resist these new immigration protocols.
The Catholic response to these events has been shaped by the solidarity the Church feels with the world’s Latino population and the Church’s ever-present dedication to the needs of the vulnerable. Organizations such as Catholic Charities USA, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Pax Christi USA have denounced the controversial orders reaffirmed the Catholic mission of solidarity and compassion. These orders affect the Latino community in a special way by threatening to cut off families and disrupt livelihoods. There is an immense dissonance that exists between the government creating this legislation and the communities standing to suffer from its effects.
Join us as we explore these challenging times at our event “Trump's Policies, Latino Priorities, and Catholic Perspectives” taking place on Tuesday, February 28 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle Auditorium. This event is a part of the Initiative of Catholic Social Thought and Public Life’s ongoing Latino Leaders series. Please RSVP here.
- http://www.catholicnews.com/services/englishnews/2017/catholics-oppose-trump-actions-on-border-wall-sanctuary-communities.cfm
- http://cara.georgetown.edu/staff/webpages/Hispanic%20Catholic%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf
Brendan Stelmach (SFS'19) is an undergraduate studying international politics at Georgetown.