Deborah Castellano Lubov, Piotr Kowalczuk
All are created in the image of God
“As Catholics, we believe that all human beings are created in the image and likeness of God, and therefore we mourn every human life unnaturally cut short,” the bishops wrote. Bishop Daniel E. Garcia is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Bishop Brendan J. Cahill chairs the Committee on Migration.
Authority must be exercised within the limits of the moral law
In a pastoral reflection published on the website of the US bishops’ conference, the bishops emphasized that law enforcement agencies must not jeopardize human life and dignity: “State authority must be exercised within the limits of the moral law.” They noted that they recognize the legitimacy of civil authorities enforcing compliance with the law, but pointed out that this must be done in a humane manner, respecting fundamental human rights, including the right to life and due process.
The immigration system must be reformed
They appealed for reform of the immigration system in a spirit of accountability, transparency, and justice: “We are concerned to observe in our society an increasing atmosphere of fear and anxiety surrounding the issue of racial profiling and immigration enforcement.” They pointed out that racial profiling not only violates God-given dignity, but also inflicts deep harm on individuals, families, and communities, with tragic consequences: “Acts that diminish or disregard the dignity of any person or group of people should never be the norm in our society.”
An end must be put to dehumanization and prejudice
In conclusion, they assured of their prayers for the souls of the victims, for their families, for the nation, and for all those entrusted with the duties of public service, as well as for “an end to dehumanizing rhetoric, racial prejudice, and violence.”
