INBOX INSPIRATIONS
March 5, 2025
In my last two Inbox Inspirations (February 19 and 26), I shared and commented on a letter that Pope Francis very recently wrote to the American bishops. The topic of that letter was immigration.
Ever since becoming Pope in March 2013 (exactly twelve years ago), Francis has shown how passionate he is about refugees in our world. He must have had this passion as the Cardinal Archbishop of Buenos Aires where he ministered caringly to those who were very poor. The Holy Father sees what is happening globally – not just in the Americas, but in many regions and countries of the world. He has seen the desperation of people trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea in makeshift boats to get to Europe.
Some of the world’s refugees are people fleeing political oppression and violence. Some are fleeing poverty, malnutrition, disease, and no hope for the future. Some are looking for survival or a livable opportunity for their families. This is the reality in our world with which Pope Francis is in touch. Perhaps more than any other world leader, this Holy Father understands these issues and has brought them to the forefront of our attention.
I want to be clear. Pope Francis (and I) respect the right and need of nations to have policies and laws on immigration. That is not the issue here. Rather, the issue is how we are to view and treat persons – persons, human beings – from the perspective of the gospel of Jesus Christ and of our faith.
Given this, I have decided to repeat in the upcoming weeks a series of Inbox Inspirations that I did in the fall of 2023 on Refugees. I am doing this to share a background that may help us to approach today’s hot-button issue of immigration with a faith perspective. Our faith has something to say about this moral issue. And yes, it is an issue with clear moral dimensions. This series on Refugees will begin next week in the Inbox inspirations of March 12.
Fr. Michael Schleupner
March 12, 2025
Refugees – 1
Dear Friends,
For me, it is difficult not to be aware of the number of people in our world who are fleeing their home or country of origin. The desperation that we can see in the faces of these people on TV news is heart-wrenching. So, I have been thinking about this and trying to learn more about it. Today’s and the next several issues of my Wednesday Inbox Inspirations will be devoted to this topic.
The first thing that I have learned sounds very basic. It is a definition or explanation of some words: refugee, asylum seeker, immigrant, and migrant.
A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her home because of war, violence, or persecution. They are unable to return home unless and until conditions in their native lands are safe. An official entity such as a government or the United Nations Refugee Agency determines whether a person seeking international protection meets the definition of a refugee. Those who obtain this status are given protections under international laws and lifesaving support from various aid agencies, including the International Rescue Committee. Refugees in the United States have had the opportunity to become lawful permanent residents and eventually citizens.
An asylum seeker is also seeking international protection from dangers in his or her home country. However, their claim for refugee status has not yet been legally determined. Asylum seekers must apply for protection in the country of destination. They must arrive at or cross a border in order to apply for refugee protections. They have to prove to appropriate authorities there that they meet the criteria for this.
An immigrant is someone who makes a conscious decision to leave his or her home and move to a foreign country with the intention of settling there. Immigrants often go through a lengthy vetting process to immigrate to a new country. Many become lawful permanent residents and eventually citizens. Immigrants can usually research their destinations, explore employment opportunities, and even study the language of the country where they plan to live. Very importantly, they are free to return home if and when they choose.
Finally, a migrant is someone who moves from place to place (within their own country or across borders), usually for economic reasons such as seasonal work. Like immigrants, they are not forced to leave their native countries because of persecution or violence, but rather are seeking better opportunities.
I will continue this topic next week. I am trying to understand better what so many people in our world are experiencing, share my learnings with you, and discern what God may be saying to us in all of this.
Fr. Michael Schleupner
Sources:
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
International Rescue Committee
March 19, 2025
Refugees – 2
Dear Friends,
Last week’s Inbox Inspirations may have been very basic for some of you. It looked at definitions of the terms refugees, asylum seekers, immigrants, and migrants. The need of many people throughout our world to leave, even to flee their home or country of origin is a serious human problem that we cannot ignore. Today’s learning for me is on some data that may give a sense of the scope of the present humanitarian issue.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees tells us that at the end of 2022 (see Note at bottom), there were 108.4 million people forcibly displaced from their home or country of origin. Notably, this number is up from 65 million in 2015. It represents slightly over 1% of the world’s population. These people have been forcibly displaced because of persecution, violence, human rights violations, or other events that seriously disturb the public order.
The UN data breaks down the 108.4 million people in the following way:
· 62.5 million are internally displaced within their own country.
· 35.3 million are refugees – meaning they have fled to another country and have been officially declared as refugees by the government or a recognized agency.
· 5.4 million are asylum seekers – meaning that they have fled to another country but are still seeking protection under the status of refugee.
· 5.2 million are in need of international protection – meaning that they don’t fall into the above categories but still need protection.
The UN data also tells us the following:
· 52% of the total number of displaced people come from just three countries: Syria, Ukraine, and Afghanistan. Two other countries of origin with high numbers of refugees are Venezuela and South Sudan.
· 38% of these people are hosted in five countries: Turkey, Iran, Colombia, Germany, and Pakistan.
· 76% of refugees are hosted in low to middle-income countries.
· 70% are hosted in countries that are neighboring to their country of origin.
Next week I am planning to focus on more data especially on our own country. Again, I am trying to learn, share my learnings with you, and reflect on what God may be saying to us in all of this.
Fr. Michael Schleupner
Sources:
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
International Rescue Committee
Note:
These columns were written in late 2023 with 2022 data available. Nevertheless, the 2022 data seem to remain accurate for highlighting the issues before us. It is noteworthy that the total number of displaced persons in the world rose to 110 million at the end of 2023.
March 26, 2025
Refugees – 3
Dear Friends,
Last week’s Inbox looked at some of the global statistics on the numbers of persons displaced from their home or country of origin. This column focuses on data relating to our own country.
Since 1975, 3,500,000 refugees have entered the United States – more than the population of Nevada. Over the last four decades, an average of 73,000 refugees have been resettled here annually. In the first eight months of 2023, the admitted refugees into the United States came from these regions of the world: 43% from Africa, 28% from the Middle East and South Asia, 13% from East Asia, 11% from Latin America and the Caribbean, and 4% from Europe and Central Asia.
The states resettling the highest number of refugees are Texas, California, and New York. When looking at this in relation to the total population of a state (number of refugees per 100,000 of population), the highest three states for resettlement of refugees are Nebraska, North Dakota, and Idaho.
In fiscal year 2023 (our federal government’s fiscal year runs from October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023), it is calculated that 2,400,000 migrants came through or to our southern border. Most of these people are escaping violence or economic distress. Of this number, 1,565,000 are seeking asylum and waiting for their hearing on this. Syracuse University calculates that 30% of those seeking asylum in the United States are granted it. By the way, the difference between a refugee and an asylee is that the former have applied for refugee status before coming here and the latter have already arrived or are at a port of entry before applying.
The United States Census Bureau data states that 46,000,000 (including 11,000,000 undocumented) people now living in this country were born in another country. That number has risen from 44,000,000 in 2017. The total number of immigrants constitutes 13.7% of our population. The highest percentage of immigrants here in relation to the total population was 14.8% in 1890. For purposes of some comparison, 23% of the residents of Canada and 14% of the residents of the United Kingdom were born in other countries.
Today people from Mexico constitute the highest percentage of United States immigrants (14% of all immigrants). Other countries of origin with substantial numbers of immigrants into our country are India (13%), mainland China (7%), the Philippines (4%), El Salvador (3%), and the Dominican Republic (3%).
Next week I will continue this column – Refugees-3 – with a few reflections on the above.
Fr. Michael Schleupner
Sources:
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
International Rescue Committee
USA Facts
Syracuse University
United States Census Bureau
Pew Research Center
Immigration Research Initiative
April 2, 2025
Refugees – 3 continued
Dear Friends,
Today’s column is a reflection on last week’s and that is why it is titled Refugees -3 continued. I am offering some thoughts on the refugee data that pertains to our own country.
1. Our country needs to have laws governing immigration. These laws need to offer structure and order to our response to those who feel the need to flee their home or country of origin or to those who do this voluntarily. We are at a moment where representatives of both major political parties and probably others need to come together, thoughtfully study the issues, and arrive at a workable direction for us.
2. Having said the above, we who are Christians need to be guided by the words of Jesus in Matthew 25: 35: “I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.” Our first or gut reaction to immigrants is not to turn our backs on them or see them as a burden. Rather, our fundamental response as Christians is to see Jesus himself in them and try to figure out what we can do to help. This needs to be our basic attitude or mindset.
3. Given what I just said, it is inappropriate and morally wrong to label all immigrants as criminals. It is inhumane, unchristian, and inaccurate to do this kind of stereotyping. Data that I have seen states that immigrants, both legal and undocumented, tend to commit crime at only about the same level as do native-born United States’ citizens.
4. It is good that our country attracts talented immigrants. We experience the effects of this in many areas of life, such as in our medical profession. However, we cannot welcome only the talented. We have to remember the words by the American poet Emma Lazarus that are inscribed on the base of the Statue of Liberty: “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to be free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door.” Doesn’t that express who we Americans are at our best? Doesn’t that reflect the gospel of Jesus?
5. The anti-immigration prejudice and rhetoric has a damaging effect on many immigrants, including those who are here and have been here for a long time legally. In my ministry, I have seen the hurt, fear, and trauma caused by bullying, name-calling, and violent words and actions. This must stop. It has no place anywhere and especially not in America.
There will be four more columns in this series titled Refugees. Columns four and five will be devoted to the statements of Pope Francis and columns six and seven will focus on our Catholic social teaching. I hope these will help us to discern how God may be calling us to respond to this situation.
Fr. Michael Schleupner
April 9, 2025
Refugees – 4
Dear Friends,
Today this series of columns on Refugees continues. After looking at some global and national data, last week’s column began focusing on a spiritual or faith or moral approach to refugees and immigrants. Today’s Inbox Inspirations turns to Pope Francis who has highlighted the plight of refugees and migrants since the early days of his papacy. Pope Francis’ statement on the World Day of Migrants and Refugees on September 29, 2019, is especially insightful and helpful. Here are some excerpts from that statement.
The ignoring of migrants and refugees is symptomatic of moral decline:
“…migrants, refugees, displaced persons and victims of trafficking have become emblems of exclusion. In addition to the hardships that their condition entails, they are often looked down upon and considered the source of all society’s ills. That attitude is an alarm bell warning of the moral decline we will face if we continue to give ground to the throw-away culture. In fact, if it continues, anyone who does not fall within the accepted norms of physical, mental, and social well-being is at risk of marginalization and exclusion.”
The concern for migrants and refugees is concern for all peoples:
“For this reason, the presence of migrants and refugees – and of vulnerable people in general – is an invitation to recover some of those essential dimensions of our Christian existence and our humanity that risk being overlooked in a prosperous society. That is why it is not just about migrants. When we show concern for them, we also show concern for ourselves, for everyone…”
We must not allow our fears to control us:
“‘Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!’ (Mt 14:27). It is not just about migrants: it is also about our fears…. But the problem is not that we have doubts and fears. The problem is when they condition our way of thinking and acting to the point of making us intolerant, closed and perhaps even – without realizing it – racist. In this way, fear deprives us of the desire and the ability to encounter the other, the person different from myself; it deprives me of an opportunity to encounter the Lord.”
I want to recall here that Pope Francis’ parents emigrated from Italy to Argentina in 1929. They did this seeking work and a better life. This was part of a broader wave of Italian emigration from Italy to Argentina. It was driven by economic hardship and political instability in Italy, like so many other migrants who were seeking a better life from many corners of Europe and the rest of the world.
Next week’s Inbox Inspirations will share more comments from Pope Francis.
Fr. Michael Schleupner
April 16, 2025
Refugees – 5
Dear Friends,
In this series on Refugees, we have looked at some data and then, last week, at some of Pope Francis’ teachings on this. Today I want to continue with Pope Francis’ moral exhortation on this important topic.
It is about our humanity.
“’But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight’ (Lk 10:33). It is not just about migrants: it is about our humanity. Compassion motivated that Samaritan – for the Jews, a foreigner – not to pass by. Compassion is a feeling that cannot be explained on a purely rational level. Compassion strikes the most sensitive chords of our humanity, releasing a vibrant urge to ‘be a neighbor’ to all those whom we see in difficulty. As Jesus himself teaches us (cf. Mt9:35-36; 14:13-14; 15:32-37), being compassionate means recognizing the suffering of the other and taking immediate action to soothe, heal and save… Opening ourselves to others does not lead to impoverishment, but rather enrichment, because it enables us to be more human: to recognize ourselves as participants in a greater collectivity and to understand our life as a gift for others; to see as the goal, not our own interests, but rather the good of humanity.”
It is about remembering the last, the least, and the lost.
“It is not just about migrants: it is about putting the last in first place…An individualistic spirit is fertile soil for the growth of that kind of indifference towards our neighbors which leads to viewing them in purely economic terms, to a lack of concern for their humanity, and ultimately to feelings of fear and cynicism. Are these not the attitudes we often adopt towards the poor, the marginalized and the ‘least’ of society? And how many of these ‘least’ do we have in our societies! Among them I think primarily of migrants, with their burden of hardship and suffering, as they seek daily, often in desperation, a place to live in peace and dignity.”
In conclusion:
“Dear brothers and sisters, our response to the challenges posed by contemporary migration can be summed up in four verbs: welcome, protect, promote and integrate. Yet these verbs do not apply only to migrants and refugees. They describe the Church’s mission to all those living in the existential peripheries, who need to be welcomed, protected, promoted and integrated. If we put those four verbs into practice, we will help build the city of God and man. We will promote the integral human development of all people.”
Fr. Michael Schleupner
Quotations from Pope Francis’ statement on the World Day of Migrants and Refugees on September 29, 2019.
June 11, 2025
Refugees – 6
Dear Friends,
[This edition of Inbox Inspirations continues a series that I interrupted because of the death of Pope Francis and election of Pope Leo XIV. If you wish, you may connect to the prior columns of this series through the link below – March 5, 12, 19, and 26, and April 2, 9 and 16.]
This edition of Inbox Inspirations will again focus on refugees, asylum seekers, immigrants, and migrants. Today’s and next week’s columns conclude the series with a glance at Catholic social teaching and how this might guide us in addressing the challenging issues of refugees, etc.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops promotes seven themes as central to our social morality. These are based upon the teachings of Popes and Councils in our Church history. Here I am stating each theme and giving a very brief explanation of them.
1. Life and Dignity of the Human Person. The Church teaches that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is fundamental for a moral vision of society. In fact, belief in the sacredness of human life and the dignity of the person is the foundation of all the principles of our social teaching. We believe that people are more important than things and that the measure of any institution is its respect for the human person.
2. Call to Family, Community, and Participation. The human person is social by nature and so the way we structure our society with laws and policies directly affects the ability of all to meet their God-given potentials. We must especially respect marriage and family as our central social institutions. Additionally, we believe that people have a right and duty to participate in society and seek together the common good of all.
3. Rights and Responsibilities. Our Catholic tradition holds that human dignity can be protected if human rights are protected. We believe that everyone has a right to life and to the things required for a decent human life. And very importantly, we teach that we have responsibilities to our families and our society in general that correspond to these rights.
4. Option for the Poor and Vulnerable. Jesus himself calls us to see him in the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the ill, and the imprisoned. He reveals that whatever we do for the least of our brothers and sisters, we do for him (Matthew 25: 31-46). A basic moral test for us as individuals and as a society is how we treat those who are poor and vulnerable.
Next week’s Inbox Inspirations (June 18) will review the last three of the seven basic themes of Catholic social teaching and conclude this entire series on Refugees.
Fr. Michael Schleupner
The primary source for the above is Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1998.
June 18, 2025
Refugees – 7
Dear Friends,
Today’s column will conclude this series on Refugees. Last week I began reviewing seven themes that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops holds as central to our social morality. The four reviewed last week are: 1) Life and Dignity of the Human Person, 2) Call to Family, Community, and Participation, 3) Rights and Responsibilities, and 4) Option for the Poor and Vulnerable. The other three themes follow.
5. The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers. Our human work needs to be seen as a participation in the divine work of creation. To protect the dignity of work, we need to protect the rights of workers to such basics as fair wages and the opportunity to form organizations such as unions.
6. Solidarity. We need to see ourselves as one human family, including all our national, racial, religious, ethnic, and economic differences. In today’s world especially, where we are so connected, loving our neighbor has global dimensions. Additionally, the pursuit of justice and peace is an essential living out of the call of the gospel especially in a world with so much violence and economic disparity.
7. Care for God’s Creation. Care for the earth as God’s creation is an essential part of our being good stewards. This is not peripheral to our faith and morality but a constituent part of it. We are to be open and alert to ways of protecting the earth and its resources both for today and for future generations.
Now, I conclude with a few summary comments.
These columns have not proposed any specific public policy positions.
The columns are intended to raise our awareness first to a significant human issue of our day – the large numbers of refugees, asylum seekers, immigrants, and migrants. We cannot ignore the plight of many human beings today.
The columns are also intended to lead us (including me) to approach these issues with a faith, spiritual, moral perspective. Different people may arrive at different conclusions about what practically we should do. Nevertheless, the moral mindset and perspective is part of what we need to bring to our conversations and positions on issues, even to our own inner attitudes and choice of words.
Fr. Michael Schleupner
The primary source for the above is Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1998.
