Strangers No Longer: Together in the Journey of Hope
The Binational Migration Conference
Spanish Text
The Commission on Human Mobility of the Episcopal Conference of Mexico and the Committee on Migration of the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops convened a Binational migration conference in El Paso, Texas from June 23 to 25, 2005. Nearly 200 participants, including bishops from both countries and Central America, as well as diocesan social and pastoral care providers, experts and representatives from allied organizations concerned with migrants, gathered to consider ways to strengthen the Church’s capacity to respond to the needs of migrants and to more effectively influence public attitudes and policies toward migrants. Conference participants heard from several speakers, including Theodore Cardinal McCarrick, Archbishop of Washington; Luis Ernesto Derbez Bautista, Foreign Minister of Mexico; Senator John Cornyn, State of Texas, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Immigration; and Representative Silvestre Reyes, U.S. Congressman from El Paso.
These deliberations resulted in an affirmation of the collaborative efforts between the two Episcopal Conferences begun in 2001, including the issuance of the joint pastoral letter, Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope, and a recognition that the conditions of today’s migrants in the region require even more intensive development and mobilization of Church resources and new government policies on behalf of migrants. The conference participants acknowledged that
- The migration of people, particularly in this era of increasing globalization of economies, is a sign of our times that challenges governments, civil society and the Church to ensure humane responses.
- There is a growing sentiment of negativity toward migrants, largely born from misunderstandings and misconceptions about migrants;
- Due to inadequate public policies to respond to the migration phenomenon, the plight of migrants, and in a special way the plight of the most vulnerable migrants, remains fraught with danger, family separation, and degrading and inhumane conditions.
- The increasing emphases on border enforcement, in the absence of addressing the other dimensions of the migration phenomenon, has contributed to a deterioration of the condition of migrants and has not resulted in diminishing the flow of migrants.
- The Church at all levels, especially at the community level, must recommit herself to provide a loving pastoral presence for migrants before, during and after their journey.
In light of these findings, the Commission on Human Mobility of the Episcopal Conference of Mexico and the Committee on Migration of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops pledge to continue and build upon past collaboration and work toward the following goals:
- Inspired by Ecclesia in America’s call for conversion, communion and solidarity, increased development and formation of the pastoral care capacity for migrants in both countries;
- Increased coordination in advocacy on behalf of migrants, furthering the public policy recommendations of the joint pastoral letter, Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope;
- Increased cooperation in educating the Catholic faithful in both countries about immigration and Church teaching on immigration and in changing public attitudes toward migrants; and
- Expansion of the dialogue and collaboration between the Mexican and U.S. bishops to include the Central American bishops, in whose countries the migration phenomenon also presents challenges that can best be addressed through region-wide responses; and
- Increased coordination within the Church structures of the two Episcopal Conferences to promote public policies that address the root causes of migration through the elimination of poverty, improved social and polical conditions, and religious freedom.
In this Year of the Eucharist, we recognize Christ in a special way in the face of the migrant and reaffirm that we are called to one table to be nourished by God’s Word and Christ’s body.
Agreed to 26 June 2005, El Paso, Texas