Crossing the Border? -Part 1
TimeWatch Editorial
February 12, 2016
As we have stated before on January 22, 2016, in the “Crossing the Line” editorial, On October 6, 2015, David Agren wrote an article for the Catholic News Service entitled: Bishops, Vatican confirm Pope Francis will visit Mexico in 2016. The Pope has been continuously busy, as he has visited many countries since he has risen to the Papacy, but this visit to Mexico confirmed for February 12 through 17, is significant for the reason that it will include a visit to the Mexican border with the United States.
“Pope Francis has previously mused about visiting Mexico, home to the world's second-largest Catholic population. After visiting the Philippines last year, the pope said he wanted to walk from Mexico into the United States "as a sign of brotherhood and of help to the immigrants," along with visiting the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the world's most-visited Marian shrine. He said in September that he had planned to enter the United States at a border crossing, going from Ciudad Juarez to El Paso, Texas.” David Agren: “Bishops, Vatican confirm Pope Francis will visit Mexico in 2016.
So far, there has been no confirmation of the Pope actually walking across the border between Mexico and the United States, however, Russell Contreras writes an article on January 12, 2016 entitled: “US-Mexico border preparing for pope's Ciudad Juarez visit” in which he says:
“Cities on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border are preparing for Pope Francis' visit to the Mexican city of Juarez as Roman Catholic Church. Roman Catholic Church officials in the U.S. said the Diocese of Ciudad Juarez is the official distributor of tickets for the Papal Mass on Feb. 17 and will be giving a limited number of tickets to El Paso parishes for the scheduled open-air Mass in the Mexican city. The pope is not scheduled to visit any U.S. border cities.”
“Ciudad Juarez, on Mexico's northern border across from El Paso, is the last stop in the pope's scheduled 5-day visit to Mexico, slated to begin Feb. 12 in Mexico City. During the visit in Mexico City, the pope is expected to visit the basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the country's patron saint.” Russell Contreras: “US-Mexico border preparing for pope's Ciudad Juarez visit”
Just so we make this absolutely clear, the city of Ciudad Juarez is located in Mexico, and El Paso is in Texas. Which brings us to: Michael O'Loughlin’s article, published January 29, 2016 on the Crux website, entitled: “Pope Francis will pray with migrants on the US-Mexico border.”
“Pope Francis will hold a prayer service at the border when he visits Mexico next month and among the participants will be migrants — some undocumented — gathered just 65 feet away on the US side of the divide. New details were released Friday about what promises to be a politically potent visit to the US-Mexico border Feb. 12 to 17. It comes at a time when President Barack Obama faces fresh criticism from liberal members of his own party about renewed raids on undocumented families, set against the backdrop of increasingly hostile rhetoric from some GOP candidates about US immigration policy.”
“The pope’s visit will conclude with an outdoor Mass in Juarez. Behind the altar, the fence that separates the two nations will be visible. Before the Mass begins, however, Francis is expected to walk to the edge of the Rio Grande, the river that separates the two nations, kneel, and pray for the more than 6,000 people who lost their lives trying to cross the border in the past 15 years. Michael O'Loughlin: “Pope Francis will pray with migrants on the US-Mexico border.”
It is very clear that Pope Francis supports the crossings of aliens at the border into the United States. Listen to Tony Lee’s article entitled: Pope Francis: Crossing U.S.-Mexico Border ‘Would Be a Beautiful Gesture,’ on January 23rd 2015:
“Pope Francis wants to one day walk across the U.S.-Mexico as a gesture of support for immigrants. To enter the United States from the border with Mexico would be a beautiful gesture of brotherhood and support for immigrants,” Pope Francis reportedly told reporters this week.” Tony Lee; Pope Francis: Crossing U.S.-Mexico Border ‘Would Be a Beautiful Gesture.’
In our next Editorial, we will look at why the Pope supports such a thing.
Cameron A. Bowen
