“I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.”
January 27, 2026
We, the staff of Catholic Climate Covenant, affirm and defend the inherent dignity of every human person. This commitment lies at the heart of our Catholic faith and compels us to speak not only about the treatment of migrants, but about a broader and more urgent moral crisis: the disregard for human dignity itself.
Although immigration is not the central focus of Catholic Climate Covenant’s mission, the defense of human dignity is inseparable from our work. The fate of migrants, the lives lost to state violence, and the health of our planet are bound together by a single moral truth: every person matters. All is connected.
The dignity of migrants seeking safety and opportunity is inseparable from the dignity of those — such as Alex Pretti, Renee Good, Philando Castile, George Floyd, and far too many others — whose lives were taken through the use of force by law enforcement. When any person is treated as expendable, dangerous, or undeserving of due process, the dignity of all people is placed at risk.
In Matthew 25:37-45, written nearly 2,000 years ago, we were given rather simple guidelines for living out our Christian mission:
“‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it for me.’”
These words, spoken by Jesus Christ, are at the core of Christian teaching and the foundation for much of our Catholic Social Teachings and Catholic faith.
In recent months — and with particular urgency in recent weeks — we, the staff of Catholic Climate Covenant, have been increasingly alarmed by patterns of violence, dehumanization, and disregard for human life, especially toward immigrants and communities of color. We believe that every human being possesses an inviolable dignity that does not depend on citizenship, race, legal status, or perceived threat. When people are targeted, detained, separated from their families, or killed without accountability or due process, that dignity is violated. Such actions harm not only individuals and families but also the moral integrity of our society.
The American ideal has long been to welcome the stranger, and its dream has been to provide access to prosperity and liberty for all, including pathways for the immigrant. With countless stories of immigrants experiencing incredible hardship in pursuit of their well-being and the well-being of themselves and their families, the common good requires attending to our neighbors. To deny their dignity is to deny a shared humanity.
We condemn actions — often documented and witnessed by the public, and captured on video — that treat human beings as disposable rather than sacred. When people of color are disproportionately targeted, when families are torn apart, and when force is used in ways that escalate fear rather than ensure safety, we are morally obligated to respond. Militarized tactics and the unchecked use of power have no place in our neighborhoods. Authority exists to serve and protect human life, not to dominate or destroy it.
Catholic teaching reminds us that all is connected. As Pope Francis taught, our relationship with the Earth, with one another, and with God cannot be separated. When we exploit creation, human communities — especially the poorest and most vulnerable — suffer. Likewise, when we disregard the dignity of human life, our relationships with one another and with God are fractured. We cannot claim to care for our common home while remaining silent as our neighbors are harmed or killed.
We at Catholic Climate Covenant commit to living in a way that honors the sacred dignity of every human life. Each of us hopes that when our earthly journey ends, we will be welcomed by Christ Himself, who will recognize that we welcomed the stranger, protected the vulnerable, and defended the dignity of all. The time for ora et labora — prayer and action — is now.
