Ascension asks.....

 June 20, 2018 

Ascension’s mission is to serve all persons with special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable. It also calls us to be advocates for a compassionate and just society through our actions and our words. Our mission compels us to speak up regarding the separation of children from their parents at our nation’s southern border.

Children who have just entered a country where they may not know the language are among the most vulnerable people imaginable. Compassion and justice counsel strongly to keep those children with their parents. As the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has said: “Rupturing the bond between parent and child causes scientifically proven trauma that often leads to irreparable emotional scarring. Accordingly, children should always be placed in the least restrictive setting: a safe, family environment, ideally with their own families.”

A compassionate and just society balances deterrence and discretionary enforcement tools against collateral harm to those who are vulnerable. As stated in the administration’s recent proclamation of National Child Abuse Prevention Month: “We must always remember that all children are blessings from our Creator. They are endowed from conception with value, purpose, and human dignity. They are a source of unmatched joy, and they represent our nation’s future. It is thus our civic and moral responsibility to help every child experience a childhood free from abuse and mistreatment, guiding them toward a future full of hope and promise.”

This statement echoes the value placed on children by Pope Francis: “We need to see each child as a gift to be welcomed, cherished and protected.” “May we always care for our children, not counting the cost, so that they may never believe themselves to be mistakes, but always know their infinite worth.”

Ascension asks our nation’s leadership to find a way forward without separating children from parents as it is inconsistent with our nation’s values, principles and promise.

 Anthony R. Tersigni, EdD, FACHE

President and Chief Executive Officer

Ascension