Experts Gather to Address Intersection of Political Climate, Faith
Proposed immigration legislation is generating friction between the government and church-guided acts of charity. This dilemma has prompted scholars, clerics, immigration experts and ordinary people to reassess generations of church teachings in light of the current tension-filled political climate and proposed legislation.
Leading national experts will discuss the subject on Sept. 21, at Duquesne University’s second annual, free Faith and Politics Symposium.
“Christians are called to carry out the Gospel message of Jesus Christ to feed the poor, shelter the homeless and clothe the naked,” says Dr. Francesco Cesareo, dean of Duquesne’s McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts. “Given the current political landscape, church members could be forced to make a choice between following their religious traditions and adhering to government expectations. The Faith and Politics Symposium will really give a perspective on how to understand the issue of immigration as it relates to faith and how to move forward as we deal with its complexities.”
Top scholars, policymakers and clerics participating in the symposium, Immigration and the Plight of Immigrants: Politics, Policy, Morality, will tackle topics including how Catholic social teaching can guide church and government responses to immigration; whether the current flow of immigrants pose a threat to American values and identity; and if it is appropriate for the church to challenge immigration policy.
Speakers and panelists, who will accept audience questions, include:
- Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the apostolic nuncio and permanent observer to the United Nations for the Holy See
- Dr. Alejandro Portes, director for the Princeton University Center for Migration and Development
- The Most Rev. James A. Tamayo, bishop of the diocese of Laredo, Texas
- Michele R. Pistone, professor of Law, Director of Clinic for Asylum, Refugee and Emigrant Services, Villanova University School of Law
Free and open to the public, Immigration and the Plight of Immigrants: Politics, Policy, Morality will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Duquesne Room of the Duquesne Union. Registration is required as space is limited. For details and to register, visit www.faithandpolitics.duq.edu, e-mail faithandpolitics@duq.edu or call 412.396.6388.
