The Exodus

I have witnessed the affliction of my people in Egypt and have heard their cry against their taskmasters, so I know well what they are suffering. Therefore, I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them up from that land…

Exodus 3: 7-8

Up to this moment I have not commented personally in this blog on the caravan of Hondurans going through Mexico, seeking refuge in the United States. I have commented on Facebook, but I want to share a few thoughts on this blog.

First of all, I like what the Mexican bishops called it: “an exodus of liberation.” It is not a march. It is not an organized protest. It consists of people fleeing from harm, danger, poverty, violence – much as the people of Israel fled the oppression of Egypt.

Secondly, I see it as primarily a desperate measure, a survival tactic. People do not take a long journey, especially on foot, just for the fun of it – unless they are people with means seeking diversions. Most of these people are fleeing what I see around me and what I have heard about life in the cities.

But there is more.

In the last nine months I have been hearing of more and more people from our parish who are seeking to go to the US. People ask us to pray for their loved ones on the journey at Mass and sometimes they ask us to pray in thanksgiving to God for their safe arrival in the US.

I have spoken with a young man who tried to go but was caught and sent back. He left because of family debts but, after his experience in a US detention center, has no desire to try to go back.

One day a 15-year old boy dropped by. At first I thought he wanted to cut the weeds around the house but it soon became apparent that he wanted to talk about going to the US. I tried to talk him out of it, but a few weeks later I noted that he was no longer here. He had gone to the US. He was picked up and is being held by US immigration.

Why this sudden rise in the number of people leaving?

There are the ongoing concerns about escaping a situation where there are very jobs, especially for the young and especially if you don’t want to sell your soul for a job with the ruling political party. There is the violence in the cities and some areas, mostly due to gangs and drug-traffickers. There is the violence in the countryside – some due to abuse of alcohol and drugs, but much of the violence is due to impunity, the lack of a judicial system that responds to crime and violence and that is not corrupt. Sadly, some people turn to violence to revenge deaths and injuries when there is no legal recourse. Then there is domestic violence – all too common.

These and other factors lead to people leaving their families and their homes.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the roots of the current crises in Honduras are in US policy – from its using Honduras as an “aircraft carrier” in support of the Contras against Nicaragua and in support of the murderous Salvadoran government of the 1980s to its support of the 2009 coup and the 2016 elections. These actions helped further destabilize the country. Other interventions – political, economic, and military – which began in the 1800s are further factors that continue to hamper efforts for integral development and true democracy.

But why the recent surge in our area? It did not make sense until I read an article that noted climate change as a factor.

This past year has been hot and dry. Some basic grain harvests have been poor. But even more the prices of fuel and of fertilizer and insecticides has gone up. With decreased harvests this means that people go into debt. And so they seek a way out – literally.

But why the caravans?

First of all, it is dangerous to go through Mexico – not only because of the presence of cartels and gangs. I have heard of people injured and killed, falling off the train, La Bestia, as they seek a quicker way to go through Mexico. And so, people began to seek ways of going together, for safety.

Secondly, if you hire someone to take you, often called a coyote, it’s expensive. The figure I’ve heard most often is $7,000. Some coyotes offer to accompany the person for three attempts. But that’s risky. Even more it’s expensive. People will take out loans to finance the trip – putting up their homes and lands as security. And there is no assurance that they will get to the US or get a job there to pay off the land.

And so people began to think that it might be good to get together in groups and go together. It seems that the first groups, organized through Facebook and other media, began in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, where there is much crime and violence. Groups came together and some people began to help the groups join up. The rest is history.

This is not an organized movement, but one which spread from the grassroots, out of desperation. The caravan – or better, the exodus – is a sign of the cry of the people, whose voice is heard by God but whose desperation is so often ignored by those with power and money.

What do the people want?

It's simple: Safety, security, a decent life for their families.

This morning a read a quote from a 1952 statement of Pope Pius XII:

"The émigré Holy Family of Nazareth, fleeing into Egypt, is the archetype of every refugee family. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, living in exile in Egypt to escape the fury of an evil king, are, for all times and all places, the models and protectors of every migrant, alien and refugee of whatever kind who, whether compelled by fear of persecution or by want, is forced to leave his native land, his beloved parents and relatives, his close friends, and to seek a foreign soil."

Though the exodus is the result of desperation, it can also be a sign of hope.

First of all, it has made apparent to the world the oppression, the violence, the suffering that the people of Honduras undergo daily. Making this visible is important.

Secondly, the solidarity of the poor in Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico has been extraordinary. While some speak of sending soldiers to borders, women stay up all night to make 700 tamales to feed those passing through; religious sisters who care for people with AIDS come and offer medical assistance to the people and try to flag down trucks to get the people rides; churches open their doors so that people have a dry and safe place to sleep.

What to do?

Open the doors of the heart.

Change the US policies on immigration to facilitate asylum for people who flee violence and to provide more opportunities for temporary work for migrants.

But what about these 7500 or so people in Exodus? What should be done when they reach the border?

While in Ames, Iowa, a woman mentioned that maybe the church should sponsor a family. She was probably motivated to say this because of the experience of Iowa when its Republican governor offered to take in South East Asian refugees.

Inspired by this I proposed on Facebook, that each Catholic parish (and there are more than 17,000) open up its doors and agree to sponsor a family. That would definitely be a start.

There is much more to say, but these are my initial thoughts that I wanted to share before I go to a four-day diocesan meeting.

I’d like to close with this prayer from a 2007 pastoral letter of Tulsa, Oklahoma, bishop Edward Slattery:

Oh Mary, our Queen,

in this time of uncertainty and fear,

we ask you to hear the cries of the frightened

and console the lost and the lonely.

Show yourself to be our mother

and protect those families who have placed themselves

under the mantle of your mercy.

Change our hearts that we might seek always

the justice and peace promised to those who hope

in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Pray for us, Oh Holy Mother of God,

that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ

Let us pray:

Oh Father of Mercy, Your only begotten Son suffered the threats of Herod and

the pain of exile though just a child. Grant, we beseech you, courage and hope

to immigrant families who sojourn in a land not their own and preserve them

from every injustice. By your grace may we live in this world, so as to give

witness that our citizenship is in heaven and our native home is the Kingdom

of your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever

and ever. Amen.