News Intro Text
By FR. SEAN CARROLL [Politico Magazine, September 22, 2015]
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<p>By Fr. Sean Carroll</p>
<p>Originally appeared in: Politico Magazine </p>
<p>It is not every day that you receive a letter from Pope Francis.</p>
<p>I’d written to the pope last fall asking him to visit our outreach center for recently deported migrants in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico as part of his visit to the United States. Our student volunteers at Lourdes Catholic School in Nogales, Arizona, who also wrote to the pope, hoped beyond hope that he would respond.</p>
<p>Pope Francis did not disappoint. Last January, a letter arrived from the Vatican. The man many call the Migrant Pope answered us, praising the students for their work with migrants. He said, “These young people, who have come to learn how to strive against the propagation of stereotypes, from people who only see in immigration a source of illegality, social conflict and violence, can contribute much to show the world a church without borders … a church that extends to the world a culture of solidarity and care for people and families that are affected many times by heart-rending circumstances.”</p>
<p>While Pope Francis was not able to accept our invitation to visit, he will address Congress this week — the first pontiff to do so. What will he say about immigration? That’s a question I’ve asked myself dozens of times since I received his letter.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/09/pope-francis-immigration">MORE>> </a></p>
<p>Originally appeared in: Politico Magazine </p>
<p>It is not every day that you receive a letter from Pope Francis.</p>
<p>I’d written to the pope last fall asking him to visit our outreach center for recently deported migrants in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico as part of his visit to the United States. Our student volunteers at Lourdes Catholic School in Nogales, Arizona, who also wrote to the pope, hoped beyond hope that he would respond.</p>
<p>Pope Francis did not disappoint. Last January, a letter arrived from the Vatican. The man many call the Migrant Pope answered us, praising the students for their work with migrants. He said, “These young people, who have come to learn how to strive against the propagation of stereotypes, from people who only see in immigration a source of illegality, social conflict and violence, can contribute much to show the world a church without borders … a church that extends to the world a culture of solidarity and care for people and families that are affected many times by heart-rending circumstances.”</p>
<p>While Pope Francis was not able to accept our invitation to visit, he will address Congress this week — the first pontiff to do so. What will he say about immigration? That’s a question I’ve asked myself dozens of times since I received his letter.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/09/pope-francis-immigration">MORE>> </a></p>