Silence is consent

December 6, 2018
Rich Morasci
San Francisco
 
I read the article, “California, Mexican border bishops meet in ‘fraternal’ conversation,’” (Nov. 15). I was immediately drawn to the word “quietly” in the very first sentence. The bishops had “quietly” met to discuss migration as if they had to sneak to the border to meet. In a climate when the President of the United States was politically using the plight of the migrants who were coming up from Honduras and El Salvador by calling them dangerous and as part of an invasion (notice right after the mid-term elections, the “caravan” dropped out of the political propaganda), how is it possible for the bishops to remain quiet either during their meeting or after their meeting. Where was the proclamation? Where was the statement defending the migrants? Silence is consent. One can only think that the bishops agreed with President Trump. If not, the bishops had an opportunity to present an alternative opinion in contrast to the vilification of the migrants but didn’t do it.
 
Most Americans have ancestors who were migrants fleeing either poverty or persecution. I know I did. It is not an easy decision for migrants to leave everything and everyone behind for the uncertain future in a new country, especially when the migrants are poor. Ask your immigrant relatives. Americans seemed in the past to have understood this. We are becoming a nation that can be easily manipulated into fearing the migrant, the refugee, the other. This is yet another failure of the clergy to have the courage to stand up and defend fellow Catholics fleeing violence, poverty and persecution.

 

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