Welcoming Refugees and Migrants: Catholic Narratives and the Challenge of Inclusion

• DOI: 10.1177/0002716220936608
• Date: 01 July 2020
• Published date: 01 July 2020
• Author: David Hollenbach

ANNALS, AAPSS, 690, July 2020 153

DOI: 10.1177/0002716220936608

Welcoming

Refugees and

Migrants:

Catholic

Narratives and

the Challenge

of Inclusion

By

DAVID HOLLENBACH

936608ANN THE ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMYWELCOMING REFUGEES AND MIGRANTS

research-article2020

Faith communities play important roles in welcoming

migrants into their new home societies. This article

examines the history of the Roman Catholic commu-

nity’s role in integrating immigrants into U.S. society,

showing how the Church has created a large network of

parishes, schools, healthcare facilities, and social ser-

vice agencies that have helped immigrants to integrate

into U.S. social life. It presents the normative stance of

Catholicism concerning refugees and migrants, which

stresses that respect for the dignity of persons requires

enabling them to participate in a community they can

call home, thus facilitating the integration of refugees

and migrants. Survey data highlight some contempo-

rary challenges to the continuing Catholic role in immi-

grant integration, suggesting new ways to strengthen

Catholic contributions to the integration of immigrants

by recalling both the Catholic community’s memory of

its immigrant past and the values of its normative tradi-

tion. The article sketches several areas where further

research could help to strengthen the Catholic contri-

bution.

Keywords: Catholicism; ethnicity; faith communities;

integration; migrant; norms; race; refugee

Responding to the needs of refugees and

migrants who seek homes in the United

States is a hotly debated political and moral

issue in American society today. Faith commu-

nities are playing important roles in this debate.

The Roman Catholic Church is the single larg-

est religious body in the United States. Catholic

leaders such as Pope Francis and the U.S. bish-

ops are outspoken advocates on behalf of refu-

gees and migrants.

David Hollenbach, S.J., is Pedro Arrupe Distinguished

Research Professor in the Walsh School of Foreign

Service and a senior fellow at the Berkley Center for

Religion, Peace and World Affairs at Georgetown

University. His work deals with human rights, response

to humanitarian crises, and religion in political life. He

recently published Humanity in Crisis: Ethical and

Religious Response to Refugees (Georgetown University

Press 2019). He collaborates with Jesuit Refugee Service.

Correspondence: david.hollenbach@georgetown.edu