Reading the Encyclical Letter of John Paul II on Human Work (Laborem Exercens) in light of the tragic conditions of the Indonesian migrant workers today: A pastoral challenge

Bro. Fransiskus Xaverius Yangminta, cs

Indonesian Migrant Workers

Introductory note: a migrant worker is not a commodity but a human being

In respect to other magisterial teachings related to migration, the Catholic social teaching on human work called Laborem Exercens, is intimately related to the migration phenomenon or human mobility. Although the two terms, migration and human mobility can be used interchangeably, in this article I would prefer to use the term “human mobility” to refer specifically to “human beings” or people who are the main actors of the global migration wheel. Furthermore, human mobility, defined as the movement of an individual or a group outside of one’s own homeland, suggests the fact that the migration phenomenon is no longer limited only to the global movement of commodities or capital but also to the laborers or “foreign workers” as it is properly termed in the labor migration trend. For this reason, the Church’s only main interest in the world of human mobility is the “human dignity” of a migrant worker who is the main actor in the labor migration. Catholic social teaching envisions a migrant worker not as a mere commodity to be easily exported and imported or exploited but a human being to be respectfully treated with a sense of dignity because he or she is created in God’s image and likeness.   Having this vision in mind, in his encyclical letter, John Paul II speaks strongly against any exploitation of workers, be they natives or foreigners. Reading and reflecting on this letter, I am thinking of the ongoing familiar tragic situations faced by many Indonesian workers overseas. The purpose of this study is to show whether or not the teaching wisdom of Laborem Exercens is relevant to or might contribute to the betterment of the living conditions of Indonesian workers overseas. To begin with, I will outline briefly the significant components of the encyclical letter, Laborem Exercens. Then, I will present some examples of the painful stories of Indonesian immigrant workers reported by some of the Indonesian mainline media in the last three years or so.  Finally, I shall conclude the study by evaluating the Indonesian Church’s stand in response to the Indonesian migrant workers and their families left behind and giving some possible systematic pastoral strategies to better serve their specific needs.  

1.     Laborem Exercens: A General Overview

Laborem Exercens was issued by Pope John Paul II on May 15, 1981 on the occasion of the 19^th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum. John Paul II did not sign the document until September 14, 1981 due to his hospitalization after the attempted assassination on his life on May 13, 1981. Socio-economic justice for workers is the epicenter of the Laborem Exercens. In other words, it emphasizes the human dignity of workers in their workplaces. In the preliminary remarks of the document, John Paul II elucidates the meaning of work and the ontological relation between man and work, in which he states, “work means any activity by man, whether manual or intellectual, whatever its nature or circumstances; it means any human activity that can and must be recognized as work, in the midst of all the many activities of which man is capable and to which he is predisposed by his very nature, by virtue of humanity itself.” Work is, thus, an integral part of human nature. The above definition is widely elaborated throughout the whole document Laborem Exercens, which is divided into five main parts: Introduction (I); Work and Man (II); Conflict between Labor and Capital in the Present Phase of History (III); Rights of Workers (IV); Elements for a Spirituality of Work (V). One may break down these parts into the following themes: work, socio-technological and historical development, human dignity-human rights of workers, and the spiritual-theological components of human labor. The outline of the document can be summarized as follows:

1.1. Laborem Exercens: the Introduction

In the introduction, the document begins with the conviction that people achieve their dignity from their work in spite of struggles and difficulties, which any type of work entails. For this reason, the values of human labor need to be reconsidered and recognized, especially for those who work in the fields of developing industries and technologies. The Church, in this case, calls for particular attention to respect for the human dignity of workers, and it denounces any type of injustices that violate the workers’ human dignity and rights. Furthermore, the Church advocates the global change of social and economic systems.

1.2. Laborem Exercens: Work and People 

The theological basis for work is based on the principle of “dominion” over all the earth. God commanded human beings to subdue the earth; not to lord over it but to take care of it. The principal subject of this task or work is people. The use of technology in work can be both beneficial and dangerous. While technology can be beneficial when it facilitates work, it can also be dangerous when it controls the life of workers. In contrast to a materialistic point of view, the laborers must not be considered merely as instruments of production but subjects of labor. For this reason, the Church demands justice for the workers. By nature, manual and intellectual work brings good to the family and society at large.

1.3. Laborem Exercens: Conflict between Labor and Capital in the Present Phase of History

History tells us that inevitably, in any economic systems there has always been tension between labor and capital. The Church’s social teaching is true to its basic principle, when it claims that priority must be given to labor over capital, essentially because people are not just laborers but, as persons, are superior to work. The Church continues to advocate a just system that fosters reconciliation of labor and capital. Moreover, the Church teaches about the right to ownership from a wider perspective, when it states, “the right to private property is subordinated to the right to common use” (#14). Certainly, “common use” here means that the goods of the earth are meant to be shared by all people.

1.4. Laborem Exercens: Rights of Workers 

The rights of workers are an integral part of fundamental human rights. By nature people have to work not only for survival but also for their own human development. Furthermore, people work not only for their own benefit but also for the benefit of their family, society and nation. From a wider perspective, therefore, the duty and the right to work must entail a just employee-employer relationship. The rights of workers include proper employment, just wages or “remuneration for work” and “social benefits” (e.g. days off), and “labor or trade unions,” etc. Moreover, workers with disabilities also have the right to work based on their capabilities and are to be justly paid as well.

Interestingly enough, the rights of workers are applied not only to the natives or citizens but also to foreign workers or immigrants. The Church teaches, “Man has the right to leave his native land for various motives-and also the right to return-in order seek better conditions of life in another country” (#23). Furthermore, the immigrant workers must have the same rights as the native workers or citizens have. The same principle of “capital at the service of labor” is applied to immigrant workers. With regards to the social ethics of emigration, the Church requires that “Emigration in search of work must in no way become an opportunity for financial or social exploitation” (#23).        

1.5. Laborem Exercens: Elements for a Spirituality of Work

Finally, work must also be based on and guided by its spiritual meaning. Although work is considered to be an actus personae, a personal action, it is also part of people’s participation in God’s creative act. It is the work or mission of the church to “form a spirituality of work” so that workers may encounter the presence of God in their workplaces and grow closer and deeper in their relationship with God Himself as well as with their co-workers through their labor. 

Having elaborated the teaching of the Church on human work, we can easily observe that the main concern of John Paul II’s Laborem Exercens and to some extent Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum is the human dignity of workers—who are the subjects of their work—as well as their working conditions. Thomas Massaro puts it eloquently in this way: “Both Leo XIII and John Paul II hold up an ideal of worker for justice that demands close attention to the concrete conditions that face workers in the actual workplace and in the labor markets that determine the availability of work and the terms of employment.”¹ In addition, Massaro observes that both popes are not reluctant to speak about just remuneration or “living wages” for workers, which contribute to their human dignity and human growth.²

2.     Vulnerable living conditions of Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia: Observations

According to Indonesian mainline media reports most of the approximately 2 million Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia are undocumented. These undocumented migrants who work as domestic workers (mostly women) and agricultural and construction workers (mostly men), by and large, are unskilled and subject to physical, sexual (mostly women), verbal and mental abuses. Even those migrants, who work legally in Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, etc, are not safe from various forms of abuses.

The most common and most dangerous journey of Indonesian migrant workers occurs mainly across the border with the neighboring country, Malaysia, due especially to their illegal migration status. There have been a series of abuses, violence, human trafficking, and exploitation of migrants especially women who are oftentimes subject to sexual abuse. These abuses normally take place at the place of departure, transit or border, and upon arrival. Before the departure, for example, sponsors or recruiters oftentimes overcharge the migrant workers for the costs of their passports. To cite another example, migrant workers who go to Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries would be asked to sign a document in a language they cannot understand. The following are some recent difficult working conditions of Indonesian migrant workers, particularly in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. Nowadays, Indonesians are concerned with two of the extreme cases of the plight of Indonesian migrant workers abroad reported by the mainline media.

The first case, is, the story of Siti Hajar, an Indonesian domestic worker in Malaysia dated August 2, 2010.⁹ She claimed that oftentimes, she had been whipped and had boiling water poured over her body repeatedly by her employer, a housewife. She run away helplessly from her employer’s house and ended up in the hospital nearby. Her employer was eventually sentenced to prison for 18 years not only because of what she did to Siti but also because of other domestic workers she had victimized by the same punishment. This case has increased political tension between Indonesia and Malaysia. However, both countries have not really been committed to a comprehensive agreement to protect the Indonesian migrant workers.

The second case is that of Sumiati who was also a domestic helper in Saudi Arabia. Sumiati is one of the approximately 700,000 Indonesian migrant workers in Saudi Arabia. In November of 2010, the Jakarta Post reported that Sumiati was “tortured, suffering cuts around her mouth, at the hands of her Saudi Arabian employer, suggesting she was attacked with scissors. She also reportedly had been burned, and this may have been caused by an iron.”¹⁰ She was hospitalized and her employer was been arrested and is still in the process of being sentenced to prison. The Jakarta Post continues reporting that Sumiati’s atrocious case is one of the thousands of other abuse cases, most of which have not been resolved. The crimes are not done only to most of the domestic helpers regardless of their legal immigration status. In fact, many of the migrant workers have died after having been horrendously tortured by their employers. Other forms of injustices are done in terms of working hours. For instance, the migrant workers in most GCC countries (this is based on the shared experiences of Indonesian migrants) work for from 101 to 103 hours per week. In Saudi Arabia, for instance, migrant workers rarely have days off. Unskilled migrants especially those working in manufacturing, construction and plantation (like in Malaysia) are subject to low-paid jobs.

All these types of abuses show that Indonesia, while focusing on the policy or management system of worker’s placement abroad, fails to work on the protection of the human rights of its citizens. Part of the difficulties is the lack of diplomatic collaboration between Indonesia and the host countries of Indonesian migrants, by providing a law or policy that would guarantee the protection of the human rights of Indonesian migrant workers. Furthermore, in the public view of the above-mentioned sending countries, the domestic work is unfortunately construed not as a work but a seemingly modern slavery. Accordingly, this mentality has led to various kinds of abuses experienced by Indonesian domestic workers abroad. The Indonesian government, however, has not yet ratified the recent International Labor Organization’s Convention on the decent work for domestic workers (C-189).11 Consequently, in February 2012, the JakartaGlobe reported that there were thousands of Indonesian domestic workers went down marching furiously in the main streets of Jakarta, Surabaya, Medan, Semarang and Yogyakarta, and demanding the Indonesian government to approve immediately the above-mentioned convention.12    

3.     Does Laborem Exercens speak to the conditions of Indonesian migrant workers today?

Obviously, the Catholic Social teaching of Laborem Exercens still speaks to the working conditions of Indonesian migrant workers particularly in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. Therefore, one might be right to say that the phenomenon of labor alienation as well as the vulnerable working conditions of workers in Poland, out of which the Laborem Exercens was born, is still relevant to the current conditions of Indonesian workers overseas in particular and other global migrant workers in general. Three of the many concerns in Laborem Exercens that speak directly against the working conditions of Indonesian migrant workers are: First, is the fundamental meaning of “the principle of the priority of labor over capital” (LE 12). This speaks against the pattern of thought, namely the “priority of capital over labor.” Looking at the character of labor migration in the Asian context like Indonesia, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, one might say that the primary concern of businessmen, managers or owners of companies and corporations (including the government) is capital or the qualified production of commodities at the expense of laborers. In other words, Indonesia sends its workers abroad and Malaysia or Saudia Arabia receive them, primarily to increase their economic growth and stability, without taking seriously into account the difficult working conditions and abuses of human rights of the Indonesian migrant workers abroad.

Second, the Church emphasizes that human agents or workers are the proper subject of work and not vice versa. This teaching does not seem to be seriously taken into consideration both by the Indonesian migrant workers and their employers. The Church’s teaching—“work is for man,” not “man for work”—does not seem to reflect the thought pattern of Indonesian migrant workers because they seem to work very hard (overtime jobs) to accumulate wealth in order to feed their families back home without even thinking of their own health conditions. Consequently, they treat themselves or are treated by their employers as “instruments of production” (LE 7) rather than as subjects of their work. One could think that they might have misunderstood what “to earn a living” means, which is thought to be exclusively in terms of meeting biological ends for survival rather than a necessary human and spiritual capacity to grow and to bring a sense of contentment and happiness.13

Third, the Church is concerned with the protection of the human rights of workers including their just remunerations and other social benefits (LE 19). This principle, however, is still far beyond the real experiences of all Indonesian migrant workers as seen in the above mentioned cases. Although in some cases, some Indonesian migrant workers are paid justly, they are still deprived of social benefits like having enough days off or recreation with their friends and families.

Concluding note: a challenge to widening the circles of pastoral care 

Other than on a pastoral-charitable level or may have yet to be visibly carried out, the Church in Indonesia has not widened enough its pastoral outreach program into a more systemic way especially in advocating the socio-economic justice for all Indonesian migrant workers abroad. I think the local Church’s reluctance or timidity to serve Indonesian migrant workers—many of whom are Muslims, and why should they not be pastorally cared for, too—must not be the reason to remain indifferent or stand aloof toward the tangible needs of those vulnerable migrant brothers and sisters. Given the multi-religious composition of human mobility in Asia in general and Indonesia, in particular, the local Church is challenged to begin reconsidering the dynamic character of its pastoral structures in order to give an adequate response to the needs of Indonesian migrants who come from different religious faith traditions.   

If the local Church in Indonesia is truly living out its catholicity and apostolicity, the circle of its pastoral care must be widened and opened to immigrant workers from other faith traditions including Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Confucians, etc. Beyond charitable works, the local Church in Indonesia, therefore, should be participating more effectively in reforming Indonesia’s migration reform policy, including advocacy for the protection of the human rights of overseas Indonesian migrant workers especially in Malaysia and the Middle-East. The Indonesian Bishops’ collaboration with the Bishops of Malaysia and of the Middle-East is indispensable and imperative in order to provide basic social and legal assistance for the Indonesian migrant workers, regardless of their religious background. Furthermore, the Catholic Church in Indonesia should provide some pre-departure programs to those who would be leaving for work abroad. These pre-departure programs would include: offering courses on foreign languages where emigrants want to go to work; giving the would-be emigrant workers an awareness of the costs and consequences or risks as well as benefits of working abroad; providing networks or sources of accurate information about reliable Government or Non-Government recruitment agencies. The Catholic social teachings on human mobility especially the teaching on human work need to be communicated effectively to the migrant workers and their families.

Nilda M. Castro suggests some potential preparations the Church can offer especially in guiding the emigrant workers’ decision-making process, for instance, by providing each emigrant “with correct information regarding the possible destination countries: their laws, and not only labor legislation, their customs, religious traditions, etc.”14 Educating emigrants and their families on human mobility, therefore, is necessary more than ever. This is part of the systemic effort of the Indonesian Church to help the vulnerable emigrants undertake potential measures so that they may be well prepared to face the possible plights that lie before them. While continuing its “work of mercy” through offering charitable services and home shelters, the Church in Indonesia in collaboration with the Church in Malaysia or Saudi Arabia must work together with and encourage the governments of Indonesia, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, to enact emigration and immigration policies and programs that promote peace, justice, and respect of the human rights and dignity of migrant workers. The Catholic social teaching on human work (Laborem Exercens) is one of the best secret resources the local Church in these countries might use in order to illumine their pastoral strategies in influencing or lobbying their respective governments to draft just and humane immigration or emigration laws that guarantee a high respect of the basic human rights and safe working conditions of vulnerable migrant workers and their families.    

YANGMINTA, Fransiskus Xaverius, CS

Scalabrini International Migration Institute (SIMI) @

PONTIFICAL  URBANIANA UNIVERSITY, Vatican City

February 2013

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1 Thomas Massaro, “The Dignity of Work, Rights of Workers, and Support for Labor Unions,” in Catholic Social Teaching, Thomas Massaro (Lanham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield, 2008), 95.

2 Ibid.

3The VIVAnews, hppt://en.vivanews.com/news/read/191429-more-than-3-mn-indonesians-work-abroad (accessed December 12, 2010), 1.

9 The Jakarta Post, http://www.december18,net/article/indoneisa-and-malaysia-close-deal-protection-migrant-workers (accessed December 13, 2010).

10 The Jakarta Post, http://www.thejakarta post.com/news/2010/11/26/another-indonesian-maid-tortured-saudi-arabia.html (accessed December 13, 2010).

11 ILO-Domestic Workers Convention (C-189) available at http://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=1000:12100:0::NO::P12100_INSTRUMENT_ID:2551460 (accessed January 10, 2013).

12 The JakartaGlobe, http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/indonesias-maids-mark-another-year-in-legal-limbo/498319 (accessed January 25, 2013)

13 Gerard Mannion, “Working and being: Social Justice and a Theology for Workers,” In Catholic Social Justice: Theological and Practical Explorations, Philomena Cullen, Bernard Hoose, and Gerard Mannion, eds. (New York, NY: Continuum, 2007),  99-100.

14 Nilda M. Castro, “The Catholic Church among Migrants and Refugees,” in People on the Move (Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, Vol. XXXVIII. L’Osservatore Romano, August 2006), 183.

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.