Catholics Respond to Election 2020 Results with Continued to Calls to Work for Justice

BY ISN STAFF | November 10, 2020

In the days since the announcement of the results of the 2020 election, organizations in the Jesuit and broader Catholic network have issued statements renewing the call to continue work to uphold the dignity of all people and creation. 

The Ignatian Solidarity Network released the following statement, calling for continued advocacy to hold elected officials accountable:

Over the last week, the U.S. and indeed the entire world waited for the outcome of the 2020 election, as record numbers of ballots were counted in states across the nation. Now, with clear results for the presidential election, we congratulate President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. In addition, we congratulate the members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate who will serve in the 117th Congress, recognizing that some races are still undecided. 

In this moment of transition, the Ignatian Solidarity Network affirms our continued commitment to upholding a culture of dignity for all people and creation. Guided by faith, we will continue our efforts to form, network, and mobilize the Ignatian network to be effective advocates on issues including humane migration policies, care for our Earth and those most vulnerable to our changing climate, systemic reforms to our criminal justice and economic systems, and for an end to systemic racism and racial inequity. 

We call upon our network to be unrelenting in our work for justice—to continue to boldly hold our elected officials accountable as they enact policies that impact the most vulnerable in our society. 

Jesuit Refugee Service/USA released a statement, calling upon President-elect Biden to uphold his “commitment to restore our country’s historic role as a leader in creating space and welcome for refugees,” through his pledge to increase the number of refugees resettled in the United States to 125,000, from a current cap of 15,000 and to protect asylum and end the Migrant Protection Protocols, or Remain in Mexico policy. 

The leaders of three Catholic organizations working on the U.S.-Mexico border, Rev. Sean Carroll, S.J., executive director for Kino Border Initiative, Sr. Norma Pimentel, M.J., executive director for Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, and Dylan Corbett, executive director for Hope Border Institute, in a statement echoed JRS/USA’s calls to protect the right to seek asylum, and called for work to provide “a pathway to citizenship for the undocumented, an end to mass detention and deportation…development-focused aid to sending countries to address the root causes of migration, and a thorough re-evaluation of immigration enforcement at the border. Above all, the statement calls upon President-elect Biden to “lead with a person-focused vision that recognizes the human dignity of all regardless of immigration status and champions our interconnected and vibrant border communities.”

Dan Misleh, founding executive director of Catholic Climate Covenant, in a statement calls upon Catholics, as advocates and people of faith, to “commit ourselves to create a more just and sustainable world together. The earth cries out, and science tells us that we have no time to waste. Our actions are more critical now than ever.” Misleh reminds Catholics of the continued call to civic engagement and advocacy for sustainable policies. “We look forward to working with you, the new Congress, and the new Administration to better care for God’s gift of creation,” he wrote.