All week long, I’ve been praying and reflecting on the mass shootings in California, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas.
El Paso hit me in a personal way. My family is Mexican and American, and we trace our roots back to the early 1800s in what is now Texas; I lived much of my adult life there, including my five years as Archbishop of San Antonio.
But El Paso is more than personal. With El Paso a line has been crossed in our nation.
In recent years, we have seen the evil of African Americans being targeted in racist terror attacks, notably with the church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015. With El Paso, for the first time, a massacre has been carried out in the name of stopping Mexican migration.
In the 22 dead in El Paso, and the two dozen more wounded, in the children left with no parents, in the shattered security of a peaceful border town, we are left with some hard questions about what our nation is becoming.
If “white nationalism” is on the rise, it is a sign of how far we have fallen from the Christian universalism of our nation’s founding ideals.
In Jesus Christ, there is no Mexican or black, no Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean or Filipino, no Russian or Italian, African or Salvadoran, no migrant or native-born.
In Jesus Christ, there are only children of God — made in his image, temples of the Holy Spirit, endowed by their Creator with dignity and equality and human rights that must be protected and that no one can violate.
The humanity of others is never negotiable. Men and women do not become less than human, less a child of God, because they are “undocumented.” Yet, in our nation, it has become common to hear migrants talked about and treated as if they are somehow beneath caring about.
Jesus calls us to find him in the poor and the migrant, the prisoner, the homeless, and the sick. He calls us to love others as ourselves, to love others as he loved us. The love we show to those who come to us seeking a new life is the love we show to Christ. He does not make exceptions for only the “deserving poor” or for those with the proper papers.
After El Paso, it is clear that our mission is to help our society to see our common humanity — that we are all children of God, meant to live together as brothers and sisters, no matter the color of our skin, the language we speak, or the place we were born.
Full story at Angelus News.
A good start. But only a start. Much much more needs to be said.
What about Dayton, where the shooter was a liberal who hated Trump and his supporters? Wasn’t that a line crossed or is hate for Trump and conservatives okay? I know the answer. You can figure out the answer by which event got more coverage and what the media covers up. Gomez is buying into the tired, leftist media spin. So sick of him.
Agree. But what about the violence of abortion for the last 46 years? Where is the outrage of this? And the indoctrination of sodomy in public schools in California. Not all Catholic children go to Catholic schools and who even knows if it is being promoted there? A line was crossed way before this…
A photo of Abp Gomez would clarify who is speaking. The photo of the Bishop of Dallas confused me.
The undocumented are human, of course. They also don’t have a right to be here. Stop conflating different issues, bishop.
People seeking asylum DO have a right to be here. That’s the law.
Asylum yes, but how many of those who are trying to enter illegally are seeking asylum or are here for economic reasons.
The same weekend there were 2 mass shootings in Chicago.
The line was crossed when feckless Bishops refused to teach the Truth about sin, especially in not vigorously fighting abortion and refusing to refuse Holy Communion to so-called “Catholic ” politicians supporting abortion and contraception mandates..
I cried and cried, after those horrific massacres! America was originally an English colony, settled by people of many lands. Our great country was founded on our Biblically-based, Judeo-Christian civilization– the best in the world! The heart of Christ’s teaching, is to love God and neighbor, and live by the “Golden Rule!” When young, my mother– a first-generation American– taught me, that Hispanic peoples are classified as “white.” We all must humbly worship God together– no such thing, as “supremacy” of any race!
“Hispanic” is not a race. People of Spanish-speaking countries are classified as “white,” “Caucasian!” Also, like other countries– Spanish-speaking countries have a mixture of immigrants too, of various races. Pope Francis, a “Hispanic,” is actually from an Italian immigrant family, in Argentina.
Mexico City, like many big cities, even has a Chinatown, and Jewish and Muslim sections. Many Spanish Jews came to live in Latin America, after their expulsion from Spain. The great Peruvian Dominican saint, St. Martin de Porres, was born to a Panamanian Black woman, and a Spanish nobleman.
The line is crossed many times when the bishops act like Leftist politicians instead of spiritual leaders of their flock. Catechetical formation would be a very good start.
How does America KNOW who has a “right” to enter unless the authorized Border Control employees can follow our laws by checking credentials.
THE USA HAS LAWS — EVERYONE MUST FOLLOW THEM BEFORE CROSSING THE LINE. Stop abusing our employees and our laws established by Congress.
YES— everyone must always respect the laws of any country– and never disobey them, no matter how difficult your situation may be! However, our country needs to establish a definite immigration system, with clear rules and procedures, and fairness for all– and end the confusion of contradictory practices and procedures– such as “sanctuary cities” — as it is too confusing, and gives false hope! It is also dangerous, as criminals may sneak in!
“However, our country needs to establish a definite immigration system, with clear rules and procedures, and fairness for all– and end the confusion of contradictory practices and procedures– such as “sanctuary cities” — as it is too confusing, and gives false hope! ”
In an effort to be charitable as well as make it thru the censor, I wonder if you really understand what you’ve written?
You do realize the US (as do all other countries) have very clearly defined laws and regulations for who may or may not enter the USA?
You do realize that the “sanctuary cities” are not a “law” that supersedes federal immigration laws?
The simple point of fact is that the illegals have chose to ignore these laws to jump ahead of those who HAVE legally followed the rules to attain legal status and/or become US citizens.
You need to point the fingers at the enablers in local, state and fedgov, Hollywood, MSM, the hierarchy of the Catholic Church.
The situation is not confusing. In fact, it’s simple. Those in position of authority and power have chosen foreigners over the citizens that many have taken an oath to protect.
Those who refuse to support and abide by our immigration laws, with their own contradictory programs , and disobedience to ICE– present a confusing picture, to foreigners– and this can give them false hopes, and incite them to do as they please, breaking laws. Our Church presents a confusing, contradictory, and misleading picture to them, too!
Keith– it is very confusing and contradictory, when the Mayor of a “sanctuary city” publicly declares– that the city will refuse to cooperate with ICE!
There’s Gomez World and then there’s reality: