MENGENANG PAUS BENEDIKTUS KE-XVI

Ansensius Guntur

Setelah Misa tanggal 4 November 2006

Komuni Pertama dari Paus Benediktus ke-XVI

Tanggal 11 Februari yang lalu Paus Benediktus ke-XVI telah membuat dunia “shock” dengan berita pengunduran dirinya dari Tahta Suci Santo Petrus. Pengunduran diri ini diumumkannya tepat di Hari Orang Sakit Sedunia. Dengan kebebasan penuh beliau mengundurkan diri karena alasan usianya yang sudah tua dan kesehatannya yang semakin hari semakin menurun. Dia merasa tak lagi mempunyai kekuatan yang cukup untuk mengembani tugas yang berat dalam melayani umat Allah.  

Berita macam begini tentunya tak mudah dipercaya. Hari itu aku sempat ke rumah konfraterku. Dengan muka suram konfraterku menyampaikan berita itu. Tentunya aku tak langsung percaya karena tak ada dalam bayangan saya kalau Paus Benediktus ke-XVI bisa mengambil keputusan seradikal itu. Benar apa yang dikatakan oleh Kardinal Angelo Sudano setelah Bapa Paus membacakan surat pengunduran dirinya, “Berita ini bagaikan kilat di langit yang tenang”.

Beliau pernah menulis dalam bukunya bahwa seorang Paus bisa mengundurkan dirinya kalau memang kesehatannya tak memungkinkannyaa lagi untuk mengembani segala tugas yang dilimpahkan ke pundaknya. Hukum Kanonik Gereja Katolik juga menganggap sah pengunduran diri seorang paus dari jabatannya kalau memang beliau mempunyai alasan yang kuat.

Dia bukanlah orang yang pertama yang mengundurkan diri. Ada beberapa paus yang juga telah mengundurkan diri dengan alasannya masing-masing. Paus Celestinus ke-V pada tanggal 13 Desember 1294 juga dengan kebebasan penuh mengundurkan diri dari tahta suci. Sebelum menjadi Paus, Celestinus adalah seorang rahib yang menghabiskan waktunya untuk berdoa. Percaturan kekuasan membuatnya terganggu. Karena itu, beliau memilih untuk kembali ke pertapaan dan menghabiskan waktunya untuk berdoa daripada ternoda oleh permainan kekuasaan yang begitu marak pada zamannya.

Tentunya tak ada tanda-tanda perebutan kekuasan yang membuat Benediktus mengundurkan diri. Alasan kesehatan yang semakin merosotlah yang mendorong beliau untuk melepaskan tahtanya. Dia merasa tiba saatnya untuk memberikan tahta suci pada orang lain yang notabene mempunyai kesehatan yang kuat untuk menanggung segala tanggung jawab kepausan. Walau berita itu tak mudah kucerna, dalam iman aku tahu Tuhan pasti akan memberikan seorang gembala baru bagi gereja.

Aku sempat bertanya, apakah yang akan kuingat dari Bapa Paus Benediktus ke-XVI? Sudah merupakan suatu kenyataan bahwa beliau telah melakukan banyak perbuatan baik untuk gereja. Dia telah membimbing gereja dengan setia. Dia juga telah menjadi bagian dari sejarah hidupku. Beberapa peristiwa penting bersamanya dan kata-katanya telah melekat erat dalam diriku. Dari banyak hal, beberapa peristiwa di bawah ini sempat meninggalkan kesan khusus untukku.

  

Perjumpaan Pertama tanggal 4 November 2006

Aku lahir di Goloworok, sebuah kampung kecil di sebelah barat pulau Flores, Indonesia. Lebih dari 90% penduduknya beragama katolik. Setiap hari minggu semua berbondong-bondong ke gereja untuk memuji dan memuliakan Tuhan. Bagi kami Bapa Paus adalah figur yang penting dalam gereja. Dia mempunyai tugas berat untuk menggembalakan umatnya di seluruh dunia. Yang jelas semua umat di Goloworok mau untuk melihat langsung seorang Paus. Belum satupun dari mereka yang melihatnya secara langsung.   

Karunia yang begitu besar!!! Mungkin kata-kata ini bisa melukis segala peristiwa yang ada dalam hidupku. Tepatnya tanggal 4 November 2006 aku sempat diminta untuk melayani Bapa Paus dalam perayaan Ekaristi di Vatikan. Aku dan Agustin baru saja 3 bulan di Italia. Dalam kalender liturgi gereja katolik, setiap tanggal 4 November gereja memperingati pesta Santo Karolus Borromeus. Pendiri kami Beato Yohanes Battista Scalabrini telah menjadikannya Santo Pelindung kongregasi kami. Betapa luar biasa! Aku berjumpa dengan Bapa Paus di hari yang penting bagi kongregasi kami.

Yang masih segar dalam ingatan saya yakni kewalahan kami untuk berkomunikasi dengannya. Maklum kami masih belum fasih berbahasa Italia dan juga kami terhanyut dalam kegembiraan yang luar biasa sampai-sampai kata-katapun sulit untuk diucapkan. “Sì, Papa”. Hanya itu saja yang dapat kuucapkan waktu aku berjabatan tangan dengannya. Diapun memberikan aku dan konfraterku yang lain sebuah rosario. Senyumnya saat itu menyejukkan hati. Meskipun tak berkata banyak, tatapan mata dan jabatan tangan sudah merupakan sesuatu yang luar biasa.

Karena Cinta untuk Gereja

Bapa Paus mengundurkan diri karena cintanya akan gereja. Dia menyadari bahwa zaman ini membutuhkan seorang paus yang mempunyai kesehatan yang kuat untuk menjalankan semua tanggung jawab kepausan. Dia tak akan meninggalkan gereja. Dia berjanji untuk tetap berdoa untuk gereja. “Di hari yang akan datang, aku akan tetap melayani dengan sepenuh hati, mendedikasikan hidupku untuk berdoa bagi Gereja Kudus Allah”, katanya saat mengakhiri pesan pengunduran dirinya tanggal 11 Februari lalu.

Sekali lagi ia menegaskan kalau pengunduran dirinya merupakan wujud cintanya yang paling besar untuk gereja pada saat udiensa terakhirnya hari ini tanggal 27 Februari 2013. Di hadapan ratusan ribu umat katolik yang datang dari seluruh dunia, dia berkata, “Dalam beberapa bulan terakhir, aku merasa kekuatan saya semakin menurun, dan aku selalu memohon kepada Allah dalam doa untuk menerangi saya dengan sinarnya supaya saya bisa mengambil keputusan yang benar, bukan untuk kebaikan saya sendiri, tetapi untuk kebaikan gereja. Aku mengambil langkah ini dengan ketenangan batin meskipun aku sadar ini merupakan sesuatu yang berat dan baru. Mencintai gereja berarti juga mempunyai keberanian untuk mengambil keputusan yang sulit dan sarat dengan penderitaan, menempatkan selalu terlebih dahulu kebaikan gereja, bukan kebaikannya sendiri.”

Pengunduran diri Bapa Paus adalah sebuah contoh kerendahan hati yang paling besar. Bayangkan saja! Beliau adalah seorang pemikir yang terkenal. Dia adalah seorang teolog yang paling dikagumi. Dia telah menulis banyak buku. Dalam segalanya itu, dia bukannya mencongkakkan diri. Di kala dia merasa tak mampu lagi, dia dengan ketenangan hati menyerahkan tanggung jawab gereja pada yang lain dan mempercayakan gerejanya pada pimpinan Tuhan Yesus Kristus. Benediktus ke-XVI adalah seorang Kristen yang sejati karena selalu menempatkan kebaikan gereja Kristus terlebih dahulu sebelum kebaikannya sendiri. Dia betul-betul seperti Kristus yang telah rela menjadi manusia untuk menyelamatkan umat manusia.

Kepedulian untuk para migran

Sebagai seorang Scalabrinian, merupakan kebahagiaan yang besar bagi saya setiap kali mendengar Sri Paus berbicara seputar para migran. Paus ini mempunyai cinta dan perhatian yang besar untuk para migran. Dalam anjelus Minggu 13 Januari tahun ini, dalam memperingati hari Para Migran dan Pengungsi sedunia, beliau membandingkan fenomena migrasi dengan sebuah “ziarah iman dan harapan”. Dalam pesannya dia berkata, “Siapa saja yang meninggalkan tanah kelahirannya, itu tidak hanya karena ia mengharapkan masa depan yang lebih baik, tetapi juga melakukannya karena ia percaya pada Tuhan yang menuntun setiap langkah manusia, seperti yang terjadi pada Abraham. Beginilah peran para migran sebagai pembawa iman dan harapan di dunia.”

Ada sekitar 200 juta para migran di dunia. Mereka meninggalkan tanah air mereka untuk melarikan diri dari perang, penindasan dan kemiskinan, bencana alam atau bahkan hanya untuk mengejar harapan akan kehidupan yang lebih baik. Sri Paus sangat mengerti dengan kenyataan ini dan telah menghimbau semua umat Katolik untuk menghormati hak-hak dan martabat para migran. Umat Katolik harus menerima dan menunjukkan solidaritas kepada semua para migran. Menurut dia solidaritas adalah salah satu nilai dasar Kristen karena kalau mereka menerima para migran dan pengungsi berarti mereka menerima Yesus yang dulunya juga pernah menjadi pengungsi di Mesir.

Dalam pesan terakhirnya untuk para migran bulan Oktober lalu, beliau menghimbau semua pemerintah untuk menjaga hak dan kebaikan para migran. “Setiap negara punya hak untuk mengatur arus migrasi dan menerapkan sebuah politik migrasi yang sesuai dengan kebutuhan dan kebaikan bersama. Ini mestinya harus disertai rasa hormat untuk martabat setiap manusia. Hak untuk manusia untuk beremigrasi sudah tertulis dalam Hak Asasi Manusia, dengan kemampuannya masing-masing untuk menetap di tempat di mana dia percaya memberikan ruang yang besar baginya untuk mewujudkan semua kapasitas dan aspirasi dan segala rencananya”, kata Sri Paus Benediktus ke-XVI.

Kepeduliannya untuk para migran telah memberikan peneguhan bagiku sebagai seorang calon imam scalabrinian yang bercita-cita untuk mendedikasikan diri saya dalam melayani para migran di seluruh dunia.

Terima kasih Bapa Paus Benediktus ke-XVI. Engkau telah memberikan kami contoh yang baik bagaimana sebenarnya hidup seorang Kristen. Semoga kami juga mempunyai cinta yang berkobar-kobar untuk gereja dan tetap setiap pada misi kami untuk membuka hati bagi semua para migran yang mengetuk pintu hati kami. 

Foto bersama Bapa Paus Benediktus ke-XVI saat kongress internasional untuk para pelaut  (nov. 2012)

Udiensa Terakhir Paus Benediktus ke-XVI (27 Februari 2013)

Reflecting on the Stations of the Cross as a Path to Healing and Reconciliation for Separated Immigrant Families: The U.S. Context

Written by: Fransiskus Xaverius Yangminta

Currently Studying at Scalabrini International Migration Institute (SIMI)

Introductory note

Reconciliation in the migration context is a difficult and an intricate process. From the migration perspective, reconciliation could be construed both as an intrapersonal or a social type of reconciliation. As an intrapersonal type, the reconciliation occurs between individual immigrants and the government. As a social character, reconciliation happens between separated immigrant families and the government. The context I am referring to here is the prevalent problem on immigration in the United States. However, it is not impossible to say that this reflection may apply to family immigration related issues in other settings. We know that immigration is one of the most contentious issues in the U.S. today, especially in the aftermath of the Arizona Illegal Immigration Bill (SB 1057), which aims at tracking, identifying, prosecuting, and eventually deporting unauthorized immigrants in this country. Certainly this system has consequences including the racial profiling and insecurity within the state.

Consequently, there have been hundreds of thousands of immigrant families torn apart because of the unjust immigration policy. The question is whether reconciliation between those separated families and the government is possible while the unjust immigration policy continues to be enacted? Is not shackling a family member just for his or her immigration status a form of criminal act? What happens to the spouse or the children who are left behind by their parent (s)? How would these broken families cope with their wounds of separation? Is psychological treatment enough to heal their deep feelings of anger, resentment, and hate toward the unjust governmental system or the law enforcers themselves? Can the victims (separated families) still find trust in the government?  Certainly these are among many other questions related to this issue but I would like to focus my reflection on the pastoral concern of the divided families, the victims of this unjust immigration system. As a minister, how can I help the broken immigrant families cope with their wounds of separation? From a Christian perspective, I believe that inviting the immigrant families to reflect on Christ’s paschal mystery could be an effective and meaningful way to help them deal with their pain of separation. Furthermore, from the side of immigrant families, naming the wound of separation could be the first stage of the reconciliation process. Having said this, I will now begin my reflection by defining reconciliation in the context of divided immigrant families due to the current broken U.S. immigration system. Next, I will present a case study of a broken immigrant family based on a true story which I myself have ever witnessed. Then, I will outline some of the Stations of the Cross which speak about the pains and struggles of immigrants and their families. Finally, I will conclude with some pastoral implication or recommendations, especially the significance of the ministry accompaniment for broken immigrant families. 

Understanding Reconciliation in the context of divided Immigrant Families caused by the broken U.S. Immigration System.

The number of immigrants in the U.S in recent years has been escalating even after the implementation of the new Immigration Act. These immigrants come to this country either as individuals, groups or families. Some, if not, most of these immigrants have families or relatives here in the United States. They have various mostly involuntary reasons for leaving their country such as poverty, socio-political and tribal conflicts, violence, etc. The data shows that most of the immigrants who come here are for economic reasons. Unfortunately, the number of undocumented immigrants, most of whom are immigrant workers, is increasing. The number of deportations is also skyrocketing. In 2004, there were about two hundred thousand immigrants deported every year. This number of deportees has escalated up to four hundred thousand people since 2008. Needless to say very many parents or spouses have been detained and deported because of their illegal status.

How can reconciliation happen here? Who are these divided immigrant families reconciling with, the law enforcers or the unjust system itself? Reconciliation for divided immigrant families means a process of recovering from the deep wound of separation and of rebuilding hope in a just and humane immigration system. In other words, it is a process of recovery from the traumatic experience of seeing a family member (s) leaving for his or her country with less possibility of coming back. Technically, reconciliation will take place when, having acknowledged and apologized for the unjust system that has sometimes been ferociously imposed upon the immigrants, the government allows the separated families to be reunited. I think that in the process of reconciliation, what the victims of the system actually demand from the government is not so much amnesty or apology for what they have done to the families. What the victims, the broken families need is the reunification of their members. Obviously, this has something to do with the necessity to repair the immigration policy, which has been taking years and years. While the immigration debate is underway, the number of detainees and deportees continues swelling over the last two years. Coming to reconciliation between broken families and the government is indeed a long and difficult process.

            I think what makes reconciliation in this case impossible to happen is the negligence to the fact that removing a member (s) of one’s family ferociously is a form of social injustice and violence of human rights, the right to live together as one family. Reconciliation is possible when the government first and foremost recognize that the immigration policy is broken and needs to be fixed. Next, the government should also be aware that imprisoning one’s immigrant family (s) not necessarily because of the crime that one has done but simply because of one’s illegal immigration status is ethically and politically unacceptable. Then, the government, the perpetrators in this case, should listen to the cry of the immigrants and their families, the victims of unjust immigration policy. As a follow-up action plan, the government should acknowledge the wrongdoings they have done to the families that have been long torn apart. This should be pursued by asking for amnesty for what has been done. Certainly, this is not enough. The most challenging part of the process of reconciliation from the part of the government would be to have the courage to change and enact a just immigration system, which guarantees the reunification of divided immigrant families. In other words, justice has to be extended beyond acknowledging and asking for judicial or political pardon for what has been done to the families. One of the members in our group discussion commented, “You cannot reconcile while abuses are going on.” This also means that reconciliation cannot happen while family members especially parents are taken away for their irregular immigration status. Justice for immigrants, therefore, also means changing the broken immigration system into a just and humane one.

            Although the above-mentioned reconciliation process sounds unfeasible to many, it is an important step to regain or rebuild trust between the two parties in order to minimize the conflicts or violent reactions to the unjust socio-political structure. As a process of reconciliation, building one’s trust necessitates telling the truth about what really happened. The immigration law enforcers in this case, are encouraged to tell the truth regarding the unjust behavior that has been inflicted upon the unauthorized immigrants and their families. The cry for peace and justice for immigrants has been a non-violent means for immigrants and their families to break the silence in the government circles for their negligence to working towards a  just immigration system. The immigrants’ cry for peace and justice is also a way to restore their trust in the government. Looking at reconciliation as a form of healing trust, Robert Schreiter contends, “The restoration of trust makes possible the fair and equitable relations that mark a truly just society.”¹ The immigrant families’ trust in the government has been tainted by the unjust system. In order to recuperate this trust, the government then has to enact a just and humane system that takes into account the need for the reunification of the scattered members of immigrant families.

Regardless of how the family is socio-culturally classified, it is a basic unit of society. While others may define family as extended family, some others define it in terms of a nuclear family. It is to the latter understanding that I would refer to in this discussion because most, if not all, immigrants in this country have taken into account the importance of nurturing family values they have brought with them when they left their homeland.

A Broken Immigrant Family: A Case Study

On April 2, 2010, the Good Friday of the Lord’s passion (El Viernes Santo), I went to the detention center in Hillside, a west suburb of Chicago to join a group of people in praying the rosary for peace and justice for immigrants and their families especially those at the detention center. This was actually the second time I attended this prayer service. There were about fifty people attending this service including some laymen and women, religious brothers and sisters, a lawyer, and some Baptists. As usual we prayed in front of the detention building because the officers would not let us in. In the middle of our prayer, while reciting the rosary, I was surprised to see four white buses with windows closed and blocked by a white curtain coming out of the center that morning. Who were those inside of these buses? I was told that these were detained immigrants who were being deported to their countries of origin, mostly to Mexico. I was also told that there were three hundred immigrants deported on that day. Something strange occurred. While the buses were pulling out of the center, a woman in her 40s by the name of Martha (her name herein is hypothetically employed) showed up together with her daughter and son. Martha rushed into the detention center expecting to bid goodbye to her husband, Jose (his name herein is hypothetically employed) and give him clothes. Unfortunately, the sheriffs did not let her in. She cried and pleaded to the officers if she could get in to meet Jose, her husband, for the last time. Although she screamed relentlessly, “my husband is not a criminal,” her cry and effort seemed to be pointless because nobody, even the sheriffs could really pay attention to her plea. She looked deeply depressed seeing her husband leaving behind her and her son and daughter. She could not help but keep crying and eventually go home hopelessly.

Certainly, I felt sorry for Martha’s family painful experience. Since that morning, I was immediately bothered by these three simple questions: Will there still be a chance for Jose and Martha and their children to be together once again? How will Martha and her children cope with their painful breakup family?  As a minister, what would I do to help Martha and her children strengthen their faith in Christ in the midst of this tragedy? This “detention scene” and those questions continue lingering in my memory. This scene made me want reach out to the immigrant families and offer them a possible path to remedy their wound of separation. For this reason I will present the following theological reflection and strategy to cope with this situation.  

       

Reflecting on the Stations of the Cross: A Path to Heal the Wound of Separation

Inviting divided immigrant families to reflect on the Way of the Cross can be considered to be an efficacious means to the process of healing and reconciliation. From a Christian perspective, the Cross is an integral part of the history of salvation because without the Cross there is no resurrection and thus no salvation. For this reason, when we commemorate or participate in the ritual practice of the Stations of the Cross, we do not only place our sufferings in the sufferings of Christ but also hope for our liberation from our emotional grudges, vengeance or depression due to the unjust political system in society. Schreiter puts it in this way, “for a Christian, placing our story in the story of Jesus is more than a rescue from destruction. It carries with it the hope that we, too, might share in the resurrection.”² Undoubtedly this statement sounds difficult to separated immigrant families like that of Martha and Jose. One might ask how they can experience resurrection while loneliness embitters their heart and the possibility to reunite seems beyond their imagination. However, raising this kind of question on the part of the victims like Martha’s family helps them discover more the deeper meaning of Christ’s sufferings. It might be good therefore to guide them in the Stations of the Cross. For our purposes, we shall take a few examples of the Stations of the Cross including the first, second, fifth, tenth, and the twelfth, and the fifteenth, all of which speak to the painful experience of immigrant families. These reflections are based on the reality of migrants from the South America including Mexico and other Hispanic-speaking countries huddled into North American shores. They normally cross the Mexico-U.S. borders.   

First Station: Jesus is Condemned to Death (Migrants are “condemned” to leave their homes).

“Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; and it was about noon. He said to the Jews, “Here is your King!” they cried out, “Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him! Crucify him!” (John 19:14-15).

What crime does Jesus commit that causes him to be crucified? There is no practical reason or reasonable fact that leads Jesus to be condemned to death except the fact that he claims to be the Son of Man and God who has authority on earth to forgive sins. Jesus is therefore innocent. Likewise, his ministry with the marginalized, the poor, the outcasts, the prostitutes, and the tax collectors swell up the fury of the Jewish religious and political leaders.

Relating this to migrants’ life, one asks: Why do people migrate? Of course, one of the common answers is to find a better life. This indicates that they face a difficult situation in their own country such as poverty, lack of opportunities, political unrest, and tribal or social conflicts. For this reason, they are forced to leave and find a better living condition somewhere else.  

 

Second Station: Jesus Receives His Cross (Migrants face the risks or costs of their move).

“Pilate said to them, “shall I crucify your king?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Cesar.” Then he handed him over to them to be crucified” (John 19: 15-16).

Having been condemned to death and pronounced innocent by Pilate, Jesus now undergoes the execution toward his death by carrying the cross. In receiving the cross, Jesus begins facing courageously evil as evil, which consequently makes him suffer appallingly. He carries the cross for a long journey under the scorching heat of the day. The cross is the real symbol of suffering, humiliation, shame, weakness, and many other obnoxious expressions we can name. The crucifixion is considered to be the common execution for criminals. However, for Jesus, the crucifixion means more than a humiliation or powerlessness. Paradoxically, Jesus sees his cross as a sign of victory not because he gives up or surrenders himself into the power of evil but because he confronts it. Jesus confronts evil not with evil or violent means but with the power of his passion, love and patient endurance in his suffering.  

Migrants are aware of the consequences of their decision to cross the borders. Christians particularly the migrants see the cross not as condemnation but a triumph insofar as they are able to endure whatever suffering entails. Realistically, their journey to the Promised Land is marked by struggles and difficulties such as lack of food, the pain of scorching desert, fear of being stalked by the border patrols, the pain of scorching desert, physical abuses by smugglers, and many more. Encountering these problems, migrants ask themselves: Are we capable of confronting these evils? How much patience and endurance do we take to counter evil?

Fifth Station: Simeon Helps Carry the Cross (Migrants need hospitality).

“As they led him away they took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country; and after laying the cross on him, they made him carry it behind Jesus. A large crowd of people followed Jesus including many women who mourned and lamented him. Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep instead for yourselves and your children.” (Luke 23:26-28).

Jesus’ journey to Golgotha is a painful and hazardous journey. He is severely beaten by the soldier that causes the terrible bleeding in his body. Certainly, Jesus gets exhausted for that long journey and needs some help. It was Simon of Cyrene, the Father of Alexander and Rufus who willingly helps Jesus carry his cross.

Migrants likewise need help from whoever they encounter along the way. Who is Simon of Cyrene for migrants? These are people of good will who take care of the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of migrants. We find them at the borders between countries not to assist migrants to emigrate but help them in their immediate needs like food or shelter for their arduous journey. They also help those who have been deported and make sure they go back to their family safe and sound and if possible help find whatever decent jobs they can possibly do. Some of these people who help include missionaries who have given their entire lives serving migrants in their spiritual, psychological and material needs.   

Tenth Station: Jesus is Stripped of His Garments (Migrants are stripped of their human rights and dignity). 

“When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier” (John 19:23).

With the advent of the restrictive law on immigration, there are many immigrants in this country, especially the illegal who feel insecure because the immigration law enforcers keep running after them. Sometimes they are maltreated and discriminated just because of the color of their skin. Many of them live in the shadows because of the fear of police interrogation. In other words, they do not live in freedom in this land of liberty. Once they are caught for staying illegally, they will be taken into the detention center for a period of time and eventually be deported to their country of origin. Regrettably, most of these detainees are parents or spouses. Their children left behind become orphans or a spouse suddenly becomes a widow (or a widower). Certainly breaking up a family is violating one’s human rights, the right to have a family.  

Twelfth Station: Jesus Dies on the Cross (Migrants die on the journey and in the foreign land).

“It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Having said this, he breathed his last.” (Luke 23: 44-46).

Jesus now is crucified together with two other criminals in the place called “Golgotha,” the place of the skull. Geographically, this crucifixion site is located outside the city of Jerusalem. Golgotha is a public place where criminals are executed by way of crucifixion. Jesus’ body on the cross is left with open wounds, his palms nailed to the wooden cross bar, his head crowned with deep thorns which causes some bleedings, his eyes filled with tears of blood, and his knees are terribly wounded due to the long and hazardous journey. Reflecting on this excruciating scene, we ask: How does Jesus come to this point? How can Jesus’ suffering be comparable to ours?

Migration causes suffering and death. Many migrants die in crossing the borders for various reasons: they take a long and perilous journey, the lack of basic needs, the scorching heat of the sun, and the dreadful cold of the night. Aside from that, their safety is always at risk because they are daunted by the border patrols. Some disappear in the desert and are presumably dead. Like Jesus, immigrants are also denounced as criminals to be imprisoned, and strangers to be feared or aliens to be avoided. How do immigrants respond to their sufferings and false accusations? Despite of these accusations, immigrants do not lose hope in holding on to their faith in Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life. They commend to the Lord all their trials and struggles in trying to improve their living conditions.

Fifteenth Station: Jesus is Risen (Migrants arise above their excruciating circumstances).

“Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all the things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, ‘What are discussing with each other while you walk along?’ they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them whose name was Cleopas, answered him, ‘Are you the only stranger in Jeruslaem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?’ … Then he said to them, ‘Oh how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?’ … they urged him strongly, saying, ‘stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.’ So he went in to stay with them … when he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him …” (Luke 24-30).

The suffering and death on the cross are not the last words in Jesus’ journey of salvation. And yet they are an integral part of the journey to a salvation, the experience of a new life or what we may call the resurrection. We notice in the above narrative that the risen Jesus who appeared to be a stranger, is accompanying the disciples in their hopeless journey to Emmaus. The disciples feel deeply distressed, forlorn, and confused upon the great loss of their Lord. Talking with the stranger, they find themselves doubtful until in the breaking of bread, they realize that that stranger is indeed the risen Lord. Their act of begging Jesus to stay with them indicates that they really want to reunite with the risen Lord again. Furthermore, it is in their generous act of offering hospitality and their active participation in the breaking of the bread that they regain their trust in the Lord, “that the cup of suffering can be transformed into the cup of hope.”³  

            Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, migrants sometimes feel distressed and hopeless when they encounter the pains of migration especially when their human rights are abused or members of their families are callously taken away from them. However, most of the time, they find themselves optimistic when they see people of good will taking their side and fighting together for their human rights and urging the government to repair the immigration system, which eventually guarantees the process of reunification of the broken families. The wound of separation is more of a psychosomatic wound. It is not a physical wound that is easily medicated but a lasting wound that is caused by the lack of intimacy. All the broken immigrant families want and hope for is the reunification with their family members again and forever.

    

Concluding note: Pastoral Implication (a call to a ministry of accompaniment)

            Reflecting on the Jesus Passion narrative can be meaningful for broken immigrant families. It is a way to cope with their experience of sorrow for the great loss of their family members especially in the case of Martha and her children. As a minister, I am called to walk with them, pray with and for them, and fight for their rights. In this ministry of accompaniment, I encourage them to believe that reflecting on the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus could help them cope with their wound of separation. I invite them to ponder on the meaning of Christ’s suffering and how Jesus, in his obedience to the will of the Father, is able to endure patiently the pains of rejection, mockery, and humiliation on the cross. Like Jesus on the cross who asks his Father in heaven to forgive his opponents, the immigrants are encouraged to forgive the perpetrators, the law enforcers who tear apart the unity of their families. In doing so, they are hopefully liberated from any resentment, anger, bitterness, frustration, and revenge so that healing and reconciliation begin to take place. In addition, by having the courage to endure patiently their suffering, to hope for the family reunion, to love unconditionally, and to forgive their perpetrators freely, they actually make sense of what it means to be an authentic disciple of Christ. Forgiveness, however, does not suggest either the forgetfulness of what the law enforcers have done to make the families divided or a sign of their weaknesses. It could serve as a resistance to the unjust system, which needs to be revitalized.  

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1 Robert, Schreiter. “Social and Theological Truth in Peace Building: Resources from our Faith.” (Tercer Congreso de Reconciliacion Colombia Bogota, Mayo 23 al 25 de 2005) 9.

2 Schreiter’s lecture handout on “Stations of the Cross,” 1.

3 Robert J. Schreiter, The Ministry of Reconciliation: Spirituality and Strategies (Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 1998) 51. 

Pastoral Care of Immigrant Day Laborers (los jornaleros) at a Day Labor Center in North Hollywood, California, USA.

Fransiskus Yangminta, cs

Introduction

Irregular immigrant day labor is probably the least studied phenomenon in the migration academic field. Yet, irregular immigrant day laborers are the most visible and the least protected group of migrants due to their visibility, vulnerability and precariousness. In the United States, the immigrant day laborers are included in the eleven million estimated undocumented immigrants. Although the percentage of these irregular immigrant day laborers is small, their unfortunate and vulnerable living conditions are the most evident with due respect to those of other irregular immigrants. Their English language inadequacy hinders their effort to search for a job, contributes to their exploitative experiences, and consequently impedes the process of their integration into the U.S. society. Indeed the miserable conditions of the undocumented immigrant day laborers should challenge the government to do something for them and encourage the local Church to concretize the virtue of hospitality by creating a specific pastoral care for their specific needs, for instance, teaching English as a second language.

 The purpose of this study, thus, is threefold: addressing the phenomenology of immigrant day laborers based on my pastoral experience in North Hollywood, California; singling out some biblical narratives that might inspire the reality of immigrant day laborers and also some magisterial teachings that deal with the phenomenon; and concluding the reflection by proposing a linguistic pastoral outreach program for immigrant day laborers.  

1.         Phenomenology of immigrant day laborers: Pastoral experience in North Hollywood

Showing up at certain hours of the day (9:00am, 3:00pm, and 5:00pm) at many corners of the intersections of the streets and shopping centers’ parking lots in North Hollywood, Sun Valley, and in the City of Los Angeles, CA, many different small groups of people—most of whom were Hispanics, aged approximately from 25 to 45—used to roaming around while waving their hands at cars passing by, or crowded before the red signal of the traffic lights, to give a hint to anyone who would hire them to work for a day or two. Some were employed, some kept waiting at the street corner and some others prowled the parking lots of Home Depot or Wal-Mart, still others kept roaming around from one street corner to another, many of whom, if not all, as the clock turned twelve, began squeezing into various labor hiring-sites and lining up for a scrap of lunch. These people were immigrant day laborers. They came from different parts of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. I witnessed the scene during my six-month pastoral ministry with immigrant communities at the Scalabrinian parish of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Church in Sun Valley, CA.

Seeing the above narrated heartbreaking scene, I felt urged to reach out to those immigrant workers not so much to help them find jobs or solve their tangible problems as just to be with them. This poignant scene of the immigrant day laborers’ endless struggle for one or two days of meagerly paid work was like a presence that disturbed my comfort and urged me to be at their side as a neighbor and do as much as I could to alleviate their precarious living conditions. Having been touched by the scene ever since the first week of my five-month pastoral experience (from May to October 2011), I began to take courage and to widen my ministerial activities beyond the ones I did at the parish, such as teaching catechesis, serving the Sunday masses, participating in different small ethnic prayer group activities, and serving food to law-income families at the St. Vincent de Paul hall, the pantry of the parish. To this end, I spent two days a week to be with the Immigrant day laborers not only serving them lunch but also above all doing activities that included: eating the same kind of food together with them; listening to their stories, dreams, fears, and their common terrible struggle to find a decent and fairly paid work as well as family separation; and even joining them in various mass migration rallies in the city of Los Angeles. Furthermore, my ongoing familiar presence among them helped me to not remain indifferent to their struggles but to become an active participant observer, however for a short period of time it was. Considering their vulnerable dispositions, I asked them to answer some questions that were not offending or intimidating but simple, informative, and thought-provoking. The questionnaires I prepared for them included: their ethnic background, migration stories, family relationships, the challenges of both being on the move in search of work and waiting to be hired at various labor hiring-sites, the treatment they got from their employers, and their vision of the present day U.S. Immigration system. I did this analysis in collaboration with CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles), an agency that works together with many faith communities including the parish of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary to protect human rights and the dignity of immigrants and to advocate for a just and humane U.S. comprehensive immigration reform.

Frankly speaking, interviewing these vulnerable immigrant day laborers was a scandalous ministry, so to speak. It was scandalous because at one point I was mistaken for a spy or an immigration ICE officer (Investigation and Custom Enforcement), which made the immigrant day laborers feel insecure. At another point, the reluctance and a sense of discretion on the part of many of these immigrant day laborers toward various questions to which they responded, somehow disenchanted me or even almost diminished my desire to continue the interviewing process at the service of the immigrant day laborers’ long-term needs including the due process of their immigration status, a decent and fairly paid work, and family reunification.  It seemed to me that many of them, if not all, after having done the interview, found it hopeless to work for a change in the U.S. immigration system. Ironically, while all they desired «work», however indecent or low-paid it might be, they were deprived of an authorized status and could not speak English fluently (many of them could not even speak or understand English), some of which are the basic prerequisites to have a decent job and earn at least a just minimum wage in the U.S. In fact, many of them confided to me that the lack of English literacy contributed much to their problems in obtaining any kind of job or to build a good relationship with employers.

Scientific studies on irregular immigrant day laborers in the U.S.

The phenomenon of irregular immigrant day laborers has not been broadly and profoundly studied. Kristin E. Heyer describes in general the precarious situation of day laborers in the U.S. in her article in which she affirms, «Beyond a respect for fundamental human rights that excludes the abuse and intimidation “On the Corner” documents, the principle of the option for the poor demands the agency of vulnerable populations like day laborers be fostered…Substantiated fear of reporting concerns such as injury or wage theft fuels exploitation; as the study shows, employers can and do capitalize on this “voiceless” condition of undocumented laborers»[1]. In a similar vein, commenting on the unfortunate living conditions of day laborers, many of whom are included in the twelve million undocumented immigrants in the U.S., a writer, Lawrence Downes observes vividly:

«They [the Hispanic/Latino day laborers] are not the largest group, but they are the most visible, most vulnerable and most hated. They are also the least likely to get any good out of the immigration bills now festering in Congress. It takes nothing from the punishing toil of farm workers, hotel maids, wilderness firefighters and chicken processors to say that day laborers occupy a position of a particular risk and hardship in these times of immigration panic. They are silent and anonymous, but painfully exposed. They are jeered by suburbanites, harassed by Minuteman vigilantes and hounded by communities with police crackdowns, anti-loitering statutes and mass evictions. Contractors cheat them. People beat them up and firebomb their homes»[2].

2.         Biblical foundation and the Church’s teaching on immigrant day laborers

2.1. Biblical foundation on immigrant day laborers

            Certainly there are many biblical stories or passages that echo the precarious conditions of immigrant day laborers and the command to take care of them, among which is, the parable of the generous landowner in Mt 20:1-15. A common interpretation of this passage focuses on the overflowing generosity of the employer or landowner—in this case, his generosity reflects or echoes God’s generosity—which seems unthinkable for human logic and based on the society’s judgment. However, I think before we come up with this interpretation, we need to look attentively to the precarious and vulnerable living conditions of the day workers such as their having unstable jobs, and having a precarious livelihood. A day-paid job would be the only thing they depend on to feed their family in any given day. Most probably the wage of a day-paid job is enough for one day’s meal, without which, a family would die of hunger. All these miserable living conditions disturb the landowner’s conscience and compassionate heart and convince him to pay them with the same amount of wages that the other workers receive.

The fair remuneration for all workers at the standard time, in this case, in the evening, can be alluding to God’s covenant with the Israelites recounted, among others, in Lev 19:13, «“You shall not defraud your neighbor … and you shall not keep for yourself the wages of a laborer until morning”» and also in Dt 24: 14-15, «“You shall not withhold the wages of poor and needy laborers, whether other Israelites or aliens who reside in your land in one of your towns. You shall pay them their wages daily before sunset, because they are poor and their livelihood depends on them; otherwise they might cry to the Lord against you, and you would incur guilt”». Obviously the poor condition of the day workers pushes the employers to pay them right away. In addition, what counts little to the employer (a day-paid job) counts much for a poor dependent day laborer, the stranger who is deprived of almost everything including land, a decent living standard[3]. Compassion is, therefore, the basis of the landowner’s act of justice. Having citied the above-mentioned Old Testament passages, one may observe that indeed the generous act of justice performed by the landowner in Jesus parable in Matthew 20:1-15 is influenced by the Israelite’s long tradition of protecting and doing justice toward the most unfortunate people in society including the gherim (resident-aliens or strangers) who have no full work-related rights to claim. The complaint of other workers who showed up at an early hour in the morning is based on the structural or programmatic kind of justice.

Following the example of a wise and just landowner, we are also called to act justly and compassionately by standing in solidarity with the needy, dependent, and marginalized immigrant day laborers. To do this, we need a real conversion of mind and heart so that we may be able to think and act beyond the structural justice by offering hospitality to immigrant day laborers regardless of their legal immigration status. Envisioning hospitality as a spiritual movement, Henri Nowen asserts that «to convert hostility into hospitality requires the creation of the friendly empty space where we can reach out to our fellow human beings and invite them to a new relationship»[4]. I may say that our compassion and generosity of welcoming the immigrants in our midst is the result of our letting go of our preoccupations—manifested in our selfishness, racism, ethnocentrism, anti-immigrant bias, and exploitative conduct toward undocumented immigrants—and reaching out to help those in need especially the vulnerable immigrant day laborers. By helping immigrants meet their tangible needs, for instance, learning a foreign language, we are actually becoming part of their vulnerability. William O’Neill puts it rightly:  «For in Christ, one is always, already in communion with the anawim; one's identification implies not merely taking the victim's side, but taking the victim's side as our own»[5]. 

2.2. The Church’s magisterial teachings on Immigrant Day Labor

            There are two particular magisterial teachings of the Church, among others, that although not literally mentioned, relate directly to the realities or phenomena of immigrant day laborers: Gaudium et Spes (Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, 1965) and Laborem Exercens (the encyclical letter of Pope John Paul II, 1981). In Gaudium et Spes, we read:

«When workers come from another country or district and contribute to the economic advancement of a nation or region by their labor, all discrimination as regards wages and working condition must be carefully avoided. All the people, moreover, above all the public authorities, must treat them not as mere tools of production but as persons, and must help them to bring their families to live with them and to provide themselves with a decent dwelling; they must also see to it that these workers are incorporated into the social life of the country or region that receives them»[6].

Echoing the wisdom of Gaudium et Spes, John Paul II in his Laborem Exercens, affirms:

«The person working away from his native land, whether as a permanent emigrant or a seasonal worker, should not be placed at a disadvantage in comparison with the other workers in that society in the matter of working rights. Emigration in search of work should in no way become an opportunity for financial or social exploitation. As regards to the work relationship, the same criteria should be applied to immigrant workers as to all other workers in the society concerned. The value of work should be measured by the same standard and not according to the difference in nationality, religion or race»[7].

All these guiding principles of the Church are centered on the human being. The human condition of a human being must be respected, protected, dignified and developed especially in the globalized world where workers are treated like products. There are some points to be considered from the above-mentioned Church’s principles including: immigrant workers contribute to the global economy; discrimination of work-related rights must not be tolerated; laborers must not be treated as products but persons with dignity; immigrants should be able to be integrated into the host community; immigrant workers must not be exploited on the ground of their racial differences or immigration status and they must be treated equally with other host workers. These compelling and prophetic voices of the Church speak very much about the many realities that all immigrants are faced with. However, I would argue strongly that the practices of injustices such as discrimination as regard wages and working conditions and the treatment of laborers as mere tools of production or agents to be financially and socially exploited, are all directly experienced by most, if not all, immigrant day laborers in the U.S., especially in North Hollywood where I did my pastoral ministry in 2011. Technically, the immigrant day laborers are always at the brink of marginalization, discrimination, and exploitation on the grounds of racial background, irregular immigration status, low or under-skill and the lack of English competency. The Church’s magisterial voice is thus, quite far from the reality many immigrants face everyday. However, I think it is important that the Church continues speaking up against any mistreatment and violation against the human rights and dignity or work-related rights of every immigrant worker regardless of his or her immigration status. Certainly the Church’s teaching on the moral duty to protect immigrant workers is founded on the theological vision that defines a migrant as a human being created by God in his image and likeness out of which a migrant’s basic human rights and dignity are born and thus must be respected. For this reason, John Paul II in the above-mentioned Laborem Exercens, accentuates particularly the same just and humane treatment between foreign workers or the immigrant workers and the native workers. The emphasis is on the immigrant workers practically due to their particular necessities or concerns that are very different from or even more vulnerable than those of native workers especially when it comes to work-related rights. Furthermore, John Paul II teaches that the value or worth of every legitimate work «should be measured by the same standard and not according to the difference in nationality, religion or race»[8]. In other words, there must be no discrimination on the grounds of race, language and culture in the worker-employer relationship or among workers themselves in workplaces.

            2.3. The local Church’s documents on Immigrant Day Labor

The U.S. local Church has been very attentive ever since the phenomenon of migration occurred between the US-Mexico border, which continues escalating more than ever in the past ten years or so. Despite the U.S. attempt to close its borders with Mexico by fencing more than 700 miles, a huge number of new arrival immigrants keeps increasing coming either from or through Mexico. The presence of these new immigrants compels the U.S. local Church, the receiving community, to respond to their specific socio-pastoral needs. To this end, two major pastoral letters have been written including: One Family Under God (USCCB, 1995) and Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope, a Mexican-US Bishops joint pastoral letter (USCCB, 2003). The central point of these letters is the Church’s call to practice a moral and Christian duty to welcome and stand in solidarity with immigrants. The response of the U.S. Catholic Church to this immigration phenomenon is holistic and indiscriminative in its language and scope. It is holistic because it speaks without polemic about the positive and negative impact of immigration on both new arrival immigrants and the old migrants (U.S. citizens either by birth or naturalization) and also justice for immigrants by advocating a just immigration system that would contribute to the common good of both the U.S. It calls to stand in solidarity with irregular immigrants whose human and social capitals contribute not only to the economic growth and development but also to the socio-cultural enrichment and civilization of the U.S. multicultural society. 

2.4. The local Church’s and the local government’s responses to the phenomenon

The local Church’s call to hospitality and solidarity with immigrants has been exemplified in both systemic and charitable forms of services implemented at diocesan and parish level. In one of their outreach programs of commission office for immigrants, the U.S. Catholic Bishops uphold strongly:

«Many newcomers to the United States face discrimination in the workplace and on the streets, the constant threat of arrest and deportation, and the fear that they or their children will be denied medical care, education, or job opportunities. Many have lived in the United States for years, establishing roots in their communities, building their families, paying taxes, and contributing to the economy. If arrested and deported, they leave behind children and sometimes spouses who are American citizens…Without condoning undocumented migration, the Church supports the human rights of all people and offers them pastoral care, education, and social services, no matter what the circumstances of entry into this country, and it works for the respect of the human dignity of all—especially those who find themselves in desperate circumstance»[9].

Putting these words into practice, the U.S. Bishops are committed to making the pastoral care of migrants an integral part of parish ministry. The outreach programs and activities of the pastoral care of migrants are identified by three pillars: Pastoral Care, Education or Advocacy, and Social Ministry. These programs are still yet to be concretized by all Catholic mission and parish communities in the United States. As far as the phenomenon of immigrant day laborers in North Hollywood is concerned, the local Church—Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church in North Hollywood—has been doing some pastoral outreach programs including: (1) having a group of parish volunteers prepare and serve lunch for immigrant day laborers; (2) celebrating the Eucharist once a month; and (3) having a parish commission on migration advocacy network that works collaboratively with other Christian communities in the diocese of Los Angeles and in collaboration with a civil organization called CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles). All these activities are important but not enough to answer the immediate pastoral needs of immigrant day laborers. Offering English language classes for immigrant day laborers at the day labor center should also be an integral part of the parish outreach program. This program has not been yet implemented either by the local government or by the non-Governmental organizations including the local Church.

The local government of the City of Los Angeles has been responding to the phenomenon of immigrant day laborers by creating a safety hiring-site commonly known as the Day Labor Center. The description of the program can be cited in the following:

«The Day Laborer Program in the City of Los Angeles is a public safety program, which allows persons seeking casual labor work to safely congregate and be matched with employers seeking temporary workers. The main objective of the program is to reduce the number of day laborers who congregate in the various corners within the community, instead having them congregate at fixed sites located in select areas of the City. The Day Laborer program provides the supervision of the site and community outreach. It does not intervene in the employment transaction between the day laborer and employer. There are no fees to employers or day laborers to utilize the services at any site»[10].

Based on my observation during my pastoral experience at the day labor center in North Hollywood, I can say that this government initiative program is good and commendable. The day labor center offers a space not only to keep immigrant day laborers from loitering in the streets and shopping centers’ parking lots or being interrogated by Immigration Custom and Enforcement officers (ICE) but also and above all, to let them rest for a while after a long day of searching for work, enjoy the meals served by volunteers, and get to know people from other Hispanic ethnicities.

3.         Conclusion: a linguistic pastoral outreach program proposal (ESL-IDL program)

Learning the language of the host community is an integral part of immigrants’ integration into that community. In fact, M. Vedovelli asserts that language as a means of integration into and belonging to a new society can also be a source of conflict and instrument of marginalization toward immigrants[11]. For this reason, teaching a foreign language is part and parcel of the Church’s pastoral care of migrants. In its instruction on the pastoral care of people who migrate promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1969, the Church affirms:

« “Anyone who is going to encounter another people should have a great esteem for their patrimony and their language and their custom” [Ad Gentes, 26]. Therefore let immigrating people accommodate themselves willingly to a host community and hasten to learn its language, so that, if their residence there turns out to be long or even definitive, they may be able to be integrated more easily into the new society. This will occur surely and effectively if it is done voluntarily and gradually, without any compulsion or hindrance»[12].

Inspired and guided by this instruction, I would like to propose an impending English language program that has not yet been done at the day labor center in North Hollywood. The program is called «English as a Second Language for Immigrant Day Laborers» (ESL-IDL), which aims at improving immigrant day laborers’ English communication skills (speaking, reading, and writing) in their pursuit of work, in their relationship with their employers or with other English-speaking employers, and in their workplaces. English proficiency can also help them improve their working skills and be able to be competent in the day labor market. In addition, comprehending and speaking English would enable them to speak up for themselves of any mistreatment, exploitation or any kind of injustices they experience on the street corners, in the labor hiring-sites, and in the workplaces. Knowing English would also help them integrate in the U.S. multicultural society, in the process to having a legal immigration status or even to becoming a U.S. citizen.

The means or activities involved in this ESL-IDL program include: (1) providing specific books and other materials for Basic English Skills, English language or terms related to a particular work, and information about job-related laws; (2) having some ministers including the pastor, chaplains, or volunteers from the parish of our Lady of the Holy Rosary or from other Catholic parishes nearby take turn to teach this English program; (3) the program is taught at the day labor center in Sherman way, North Hollywood in collaboration with the designated staff of the center; (4) the program can be scheduled before lunch for two hours (11:00pm-1:00pm) from Monday to Friday; and finally (5) the teaching staffs or volunteers of the parishes or other particular Christian communities must be proficient in both English and Spanish so that in addition to teaching English as a second language, the U.S. culture (s), and national laws or regulations, they may also teach some catechesis or religious and cultural traditions of the immigrant day laborers.

Bibliography

BIANCHI Enzo, «L’accoglienza dello straniero nella Bibbia», in People on the move 72 (1996), 11-34.

DOWNES Lawrence, «Day Laborers, Silent and Despised, Find Their Voice» available at http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/10/opinion/10mon4.html?ex=1310184000&en=25d22bcdf5bb1b40&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&_r=0 

HEYER Kristin E., «Strangers in our midst: Day labors and just immigration reform», in Political Theology 9.4 (2008), 425-453.   

LOS ANGELES COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, «Day Laborer Program» available at http://cdd.lacity.org/emp_empday.html

NOUWEN Henri. J. M., Reaching Out: The Three Movements of Spiritual Life, Doubleday, Garden City (NY) 1975.

O’NEILL William, « ‘No Longer Strangers’ (Ephesians 2:19): The Ethics of Migration», in Word & World 29/3 (2009), 227-233.

UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS (USCCB), «Parish Activities to Help Immigrants, Migrants, Refugees, and People on the Move», available at http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/migrants-refugees-and-travelers/parish-activities-immigration.cfm

VEDOVELLI M., «Lingua ed emigrazione», in TASSELLO Graziano (a cura di), Lessico Migratorio, CSER, Roma (1987), 127-132.

Church documents:

JOHN PAUL II, Encyclical Letter Laborem Exercens (14 September 1981).

PAUL VI, Instruction on the Pastoral Care of People Who Migrate, De Pastorali Migratorum Cura-Nemo est (22 August 1969).

UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS (USCCB), One Family Under God (USCCB, 1995).

UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS (USCCB) AND CONFERENCIA EPISCOPALE MIXICANA (CEM), Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope (USCCB, 2003).

VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL II, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes (7 December 1965).

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[1] K.E. HEYER, «Strangers in our midst: Day labors and just immigration reform», in Political Theology 9.4, Equinox Publishing Ltd, The Village, London SW11 2JW, 2008, 437.    

[2] L. DOWNES, «Day Laborers, Silent and Despised, Find Their Voice» available at http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/10/opinion/10mon4.html?ex=1310184000&en=25d22bcdf5bb1b40&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&_r=0 (accessed January 14, 2013). 

[3] E. BIANCHI, «L’accoglienza dello straniero nella Bibbia», in People on the Move 72, 1996, 19.

[4] H. J. M. NOUWEN, Reaching Out: The Three Movements of Spiritual Life, Doubleday, Garden City, NY, 1975, 54.

[5] W. O’NEILL, «‘No Longer Strangers’ (Ephesians 2:19): The Ethics of Migration», in Word & World 29/3 2009, 233.

[6] VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL II, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et spes (7 December 1965), n.66, §1.

[7] JOHN PAUL II, Encyclical Letter Laborem Exercens (14 September 1981), n.23, §2.  

[8] JOHN PAUL II, Encyclical Letter Laborem Exercens (14 September 1981), n.23, §2. 

[9] UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS (USCCB), «Parish Activities to Help Immigrants, Migrants, Refugees, and People on the Move», available at http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/migrants-refugees-and-travelers/parish-activities-immigration.cfm (accessed January 15, 2013).

[10] LOS ANGELES COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, «Day Laborer Program» available at http://cdd.lacity.org/emp_empday.html (accessed January 16, 2013).

[11] M. VEDOVELLI, «Lingua ed emigrazione», in TASSELLO Graziano (a cura di), Lessico Migratorio, CSER, Roma 1987, 127.

[12] PAUL VI, Instruction on the Pastoral Care of People Who Migrate, De Pastorali Migratorum Cura-Nemo est (22 August 1969), n.10.