A lesson in offering and accepting help

The “global refugee crisis” is neither, said Father Michael Czerny, in Modesto for an international Catholic conference. “Neither is it global or a crisis.”

Czerny accompanied Cardinal Peter Turkson to Modesto for the World Meeting of Popular Movements, which drew 660 to Central Catholic High School. They discussed issues ranging from racism to migration to housing, but Turkson and Czerny have a particular expertise in immigration issues.

Turkson is a close adviser to Pope Francis and the prefect of the Vatican’s newly organized Integral Human Development ministry. Czerny is the under-secretary for migrants and refugees.

They were told that Stanislaus County has been especially welcoming to immigrants of all kinds over many decades. But our most recent immigrants are fleeing the war-torn Middle East, and many pray in a mosque. And that has caused a backlash among those who fear infiltration by terrorists – even from some who attend Catholic churches.

“The gift and the challenge,” said Czerny, “is to accompany all people (on their journey) … It’s not to say the church is with the immigrants and against us. That would be a very unhappy state of affairs. People who are (migrating), the church wants to accompany them. But the church also wants to accompany those who are receiving (immigrants).

“This is where the real dialogue can begin.”

Cardinal Turkson said the issue of forced immigration is “very special to Pope Francis,” which explains the personal message the pope had Turkson deliver Thursday night.

“The grave danger is to disown our neighbors,” wrote Pope Francis. “When we do so, we deny their humanity and our own humanity. … Sooner or later, the moral blindness of this indifference comes to light … the wounds are there, they are reality. The unemployment is real, the violence is real, the corruption is real, the identity crisis is real, the gutting of democracies is real. The system’s gangrene cannot be whitewashed forever because sooner or later the stench becomes too strong.”

When that happens, wrote the pope, “the same power that spawned this state of affairs sets about manipulating fear” of the other. That leads to insecurity, quarrels and finally projecting all the ills of society “onto a ‘non-neighbor.’”

In a roundtable with journalists, Cardinal Turkson and Czerny were asked if the pope was speaking of specific nations or politicians.

There is no doubt that President Donald Trump’s attempt to halt immigration from some war-torn nations and by any Muslims has upset many of those attending the conference. It’s also true that some have taken Trump’s approach as permission to express their own anger and fear toward undocumented immigrants and refugees.

Czerny offered an antidote.

“We tend to fight these things out at the level of high principles, either for or against,” Czerny said. “But if we’re being asked to help – to find furniture for an apartment or help someone find clothing or to teach them English – people will come forward. Give them a chance and they will lend a hand. And in lending a hand, they meet another hand.”

Such messages provide hope not only for the 660 attending the conference, but for anyone willing to listen.

In a time of growing political anger even between neighbors, perhaps we should extend an open hand – be willing to help, but also willing to ask for it.

This story was originally published February 17, 2017 at 5:06 PM with the headline "A lesson in offering and accepting help."