The Migration and Refugee Services of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) on July 12, 2018, said they will work together to reunite children separated from their families at the border. The USCCB issued the following statement:
“As we have long done, CCUSA and Migration and Refugee Services of USCCB are lending our experience and expertise to support Catholic Charities agencies in their efforts to reunite families and care for immigrant children during this sensitive time. While we strongly oppose the policies that led to these families being separated, we remain committed to working to ensure their safe reunification. Protection of families is a foundational element of Catholic Social Teaching and this moment calls on all people of good will to lend a hand to reunite these children with their parents.”
Pope Francis has been a consistent advocate for refugees. He celebrated a special Mass for migrants on July 6, 2018, at St. Peter’s Basilica.
In his homily, the Holy Father called for treating migrants as Jesus had treated the poor and disadvantaged but also stressed that migrants ought to be properly integrated.
Migration and Refugee Services (MRS) fulfills the commitment of the U.S. Catholic bishops to protect the life and dignity of the human person. For more than 50 years, MRS has served and advocated for refugees, asylees, migrants, unaccompanied children, and victims of human trafficking.
Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) is the national office for the Catholic Charities ministry nationwide. CCUSA’s members provide help and create hope to more than 8 million people a year regardless of religious, social, or economic backgrounds.
