September 6, 2017
CTU’s Statement of Solidarity with our DACA Brothers and Sisters
In the wake of the Trump administration’s decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy of the US government (DACA) the CTU community responds.
DREAMERS are not strangers, aliens, or guests in this land. They are our children, our students, our alums, our neighbors, our colleagues, our parishioners, our family, our friends. Some are among those who serve our nation through the military and public service, and others are among those who serve our Catholic Church through their ministries and theological and biblical scholarship. With the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Archdiocese of Chicago, Catholic Theological Union stands in solidarity with our DREAMERS who call the USA home. In accordance with our Catholic Social Teaching and inspired by the advocacy of Pope Francis for migrants and immigrants, we commit to a preferential option for the young and those made vulnerable by their immigration status. As a teaching/learning community responsible for theological education and the preparation of religious and laity for ministry, we affirm our support and protection for the DREAMERS we accompany.
The ongoing failure to secure a DREAM (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) Act, and the dismantling of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) represent, what the USCCB has called “a heartbreaking moment in our history that shows the absence of mercy and good will, and a short-sighted vision for the future.” The stress of an uncertain tomorrow, the fear of deportation, and the prospect of long-term separation from families are unnecessary burdens to impose on our young, and destructive to the fabric of our communities and our nation who depend on them. As Cardinal Cupich has stated Congress must now act, guided by compassion and respect for dignity, “to pass legislation that will protect those previously covered by the DACA program, while they deal with the long-overdue comprehensive reform of our immigration system.”
CTU is a community that reflects the diversity of our global church and this nation. We remain committed to our mission to prepare effective leaders for the Church, ready to witness to Christ’s good news of justice, love, and peace.
Rev. Mark R. Francis, CSV
President
