Through the Michigan Catholic Conference, Bishop Walkowiak has joined with his brother bishops in the state of Michigan by composing a Pastoral Note to Migrants.
In their letter, the bishops share their empathy for families and individuals who have expressed fear and concern over public threats of mass deportation and language that broadly demeans immigrants. The bishops are clear in their support for the human dignity of all people, particularly migrants at this time: “As shepherds of our flocks, we pledge amid such uncertainty to promote through the Michigan Catholic Conference and in our respective dioceses unyielding support and respect for the human dignity of all migrant people in our midst.”
The Catholic bishops’ Pastoral Note includes a companion Frequently Asked Questions document that shares Catholic social teaching on immigration and the treatment of all migrant people. The document clarifies that the Catholic Church does not support “open borders,” provides teaching from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and shares advocacy positions from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops regarding federal immigration reform.
