I am relieved to see a few of our bishops actually doing more than issue religious-speak statements about the appalling evil that is happening in America right now. I was afraid the Church would roll over, the same way they’ve been rolling over for Trump for years.
I guess I should have known better. The Catholic Church, for all its failings, never completely caves in to satan. However, in my defense I must say that it took them far too long and there are still far too many bishops sitting on the fence. Trump even has a few pet bishops who have consented to associate their names directly with his regime. I may talk about these guys later.
For now, I’m relieved and grateful to see Catholic bishops who’ve decided to suit up and get off the bench. Bishop Michael Pham, Auxiliary Bishop of San Diego, jumped into the fight for human life and dignity as soon as Pope Leo appointed him. Even before he was formally installed, Bishop Michael Pham and several priests from his diocese in San Diego went to the San Diego courthouse to stand with immigrants.
Episcopalian Bishop Susan Brown Snook and other faith leaders were there as well. From what I’ve seen, a number of Protestant faith leaders took the initiative in speaking against Trump’s dehumanizing treatment of other human beings long before the Catholic bishops got the message.
The day Bishop Pham showed up at the courthouse, the ICE agents scattered like quail. That’s an indication of the good that the bishops could have been doing all along, if they had just been willing to get out of their protected bubbles and be the shepherds they are supposed to be.
From Times of San Diego:
On World Refugee Day, masked immigration agents weren’t leaning against the off-white walls, waiting to grab people. They scattered Friday after seeing a clergy delegation led by Bishop-elect Michael Pham.
“Like the story of Moses and Exodus, the Red Sea parted,” said observer Scott Reid of the immigrant-aiding San Diego Organizing Project.
Said another: “We’ve never seen the hallways cleared out so quickly.”
A few days ago, Archbishop Thomas Wenski who heads the Archdiocese of Miami, went on a bike ride with a group of Knights of Columbus to the swamp where Trump has built his pride and job, Alligator Alcatraz. Bishop Wenski and the knights prayed the Rosary outside the concentration camp gates.
I hope that the rest of our bishops accept what a few bishops such as Bishop Pham and Archbishop Wenski are doing as a challenge. We don’t need a few bishops to stand up for Christ and Him Crucified while the rest of the bishops back off, stand down and let Trump do whatever he wants.
If the bishops stand together and if they are willing to do what these two bishops have done and put some of their own skin in the game, they can make a powerful impact for good. Just as important, when the history of these evil times is written, the Catholic Church will not face the ignominy of being labeled “Trump’s Church.” We don’t need individuals who are martyred because their cowardly brethren let them stand alone. We need men, with spines, who will do the work for Christ that is in front of them.
This is a “choose this day whom you will serve” moment.
The laity should not have to fight this evil alone. We need shepherds who follow Christ to lead us and to remind us that defending the least of these is defending Christ and Him crucified..
Note: “Choose this day whom you will serve,” is a partial quote from Joshua 24:15. “Choose this day whom you will serve … as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
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