Bishops highlight solidarity with migrants

The plight of refugees and immigrants was highlighted by many US bishops at Christmas, while President Barack Obama drew attention to the persecution of Middle Eastern Christians, writes Michael Sean Winters.

New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan told the congregation at Christmas Midnight Mass in St Patrick’s Cathedral that among them were two refugee families, one from El Salvador and a Muslim family from Ivory Coast.

Both families are being resettled by Catholic charities. Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich’s Christmas card featured a black, refugee Holy Family and Boston Cardinal Séan O’Malley’s card featured a crib topped by the Arabic letter “N” for “Nazarene”, which Islamic State (IS) terrorists place on the homes of Christians in areas under their control.

US Bishops’ Conference president Archbishop Joseph Kurtz warned against demonising Muslims and refugees following the mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, by an Islamist couple. “Policies of fear and inflammatory rhetoric will only offer extremists fertile soil,” he said. New Jersey bishops issued a pastoral letter linking the plight of refugees today to the Christmas narrative and the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt.

Mr Obama, who has been criticised for not doing more to alleviate the plight of Christians, issued a statement noting that “in some areas of the Middle East where church bells have rung for centuries on Christmas Day, this year they will be silent”.