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The Catholic Church and Migration

In their joint pastoral letter Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope, the Catholic bishops of the United States and Mexico observed that “America is a continent born of immigrant peoples who came to inhabit these lands and who from north to south gave birth to new civilizations.” (13)

Like so many other institutions, the Catholic Church in the United States has been shaped by these shifting migration flows, has engaged in advocacy efforts to attune legislation and administrative action in a way that better reflects its moral teaching, and has built institutions – including schools, hospitals, and social service institutions – that help migrants to adjust to their new land. This engagement is complex and cannot be easily reduced to soundbites, talking points, or quick takes. There are tensions that have emerged at different times and challenges that have surfaced that have led Church leaders to refine their approach to migration-related questions.

The modules included below will provide insights into the myriad of ways that the Catholic Church – from the grassroots to the upper echelons of Church authority –  has responded to migration and, in doing so, will focus on a variety of issues. They will include sections on Catholic social teaching, history, pastoral care, and policy. As more modules are added to this page, it is hoped that they will provide a deeper clarity to how the Church has engaged the migration question, both from a theoretical, moral, and practical perspective.

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Immigration Reform and The Church

4 Lessons

WWII and Displaced Persons

Forthcoming – Spring 2023