Migrant crisis and the shameful silence of Cardinal Péter Erdő

Standing next to a boat used by refugees to reach safer shores, Germany’s Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki begged Europeans not to turn a blind eye to the plight of migrants. “Someone who lets people drown in the Mediterranean also drowns God — every day, thousands of times.”

Cardinal Woelki in Cologne, Germany is using a refugee boat as a pulpit.

Cardinal Woelki in Cologne, Germany is using a refugee boat as a pulpit.

Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster asked Catholics to protest against immigration policies that could put the lives of children at risk. “While it is right to keep silent when children are asleep, it is never right to stay silent when they are perishing at sea or at risk in hostile camps.”

Cardinal Nichols visits a refugee camp in Iraq.

Cardinal Nichols visits a refugee camp in Iraq.

Cardinal Luis Tagle, Archbishop of Manila noted that he had “migrant DNA” as he called on people to turn to Catholic social teachings and show a caring attitude when dealing with the refugee crisis. He referred to his grandparents who were refugees from China.

 Cardinal Tagle and Pope Francis. Tagle’s grandparents were refugees from China.

Cardinal Tagle and Pope Francis. Tagle’s grandparents were refugees from China.

Pope Francis spoke in Krakow at the World Youth Day, and before a crowd of 600,000 he pleaded to welcome migrants and refugees. “A merciful heart is able to be a place of refuge for those who are without a home or have lost their home… A merciful heart can share its bread with the hungry and welcome refugees and migrants.

The Orbán government has repeatedly ignored calls for humane treatment of refugees; instead it will stage an anti-migrant referendum on October 2nd, 2016. Hungarians are asked the question: Do you want to allow the European Union to mandate the resettlement of non-Hungarian citizens to Hungary without the approval of parliament?

The government has launched a racist poster campaign and pro-government media often describes migrants as sub-humans and also attacks the Muslim religion. This year at the AHEA Conference at the University of Maryland Mr. Tamás Stark, a historian of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, gave a presentation about the similarity of the rhetoric against the migrants to the anti-Semitic attacks against Galician Jews who fled to Hungary during World War I. It seems that the Orbán government has made racism and migrant bashing Hungary’s official policy.

Yet, the Hungarian Catholic Church is silent. Cardinal Péter Erdő does not comment; he has not raised his voice to tell Catholics that the anti-migrant referendum is immoral and against Christian values.

It is not too late. Cardinal Erdő should use his moral authority and demand the withdrawal of the referendum. Such a shameful question should never be posed to the Hungarian People. This referendum will put a permanent stain on the nation’s history.

György Lázár

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