The Catholic priests of the Archdiocese of Pretoria and their archbishop, George Daniel, have called on Catholics and all South Africans of good will to work for an open and welcoming society where every human being is treated justly and humanely.The priests said in a statement on Thursday that current attacks on foreigners signalled a lack of generosity to receive immigrants and asylum seekers.
"Xenophobia is a serious offence against God precisely because it violates the innate dignity of the human person. At its core, xenophobia is a failure to love our neighbour. Since we cannot claim to love God unless we love our neighbour, we can only be one with God if we reject xenophobia and work aggressively to remove it from our personal lives, our church, and our society."
Every offence against the dignity of the person is an offence against God himself, in whose image human beings are made, the priests added.
"Jesus' answer to the question "Who is my neighbour?" (Luke 10: 29) demands of each individual an attitude of respect for the dignity of others and real concern for them, even if they are strangers. (Luke 10:30-37)."
The priests said they would do everything possible to offer all immigrants the pastoral care they need. They called on the faithful to offer immigrants hospitality, not hostility.
"As the very name 'Catholic' implies, one of the primary characteristics of our Church is its universality. We are a Church that is extremely diverse, representing races and ethnic groups from every part of the globe. The Catholic Church, which embraces men and women 'of every nation, race, people and tongue' (Revelation 7:9) is called to be, 'in a world marked by ideological, ethnic, economic and cultural divisions,' the 'living sign of the unity of the human family.'"
At the same time the clerics criticized the government for failure to prevent the crisis. "As complex as the situation is, the South African government is not doing everything in its power to avert the causes that led to a looming immigrant crisis in our country. For example, the government's quiet diplomacy on Zimbabwe has proven fatal. It is a shame that we cannot bring justice and peace in places like Darfur and Somalia."
Police and the courts must be empowered to deal with those who violate other people's human rights, they said. "Order and sanity must be restored in affected areas. The systematic lack of service delivery is a breeding ground for crime and lawlessness. Let us ensure that all South Africans and immigrants have access to basics: employment, food, shelter and dignity."
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