Refugees In Australia

The world today is witnessing the highest levels of home displacement and refugees ever recorded, and it is occurring everywhere. 22.5 million refugees were recognised in 2016 all over the world, and in Australia alone, 182 thousand people migrated over to this country because of many different reasons (UNHCR, 2018). This issue relates to suffering, good and evil, and Catholic decision making, and will be explored further in this essay.
Catholic social teachings take a strong stand on the issues of asylum, forced displacement, and migration. In particular, the social teachings of Dignity of the Human Person, and Preferential Option for the Poor. Dignity of the Human Person states that no human should have their dignity or freedom compromised,

Within the whole book, many references to refugees are made that describe the way Christians are supposed to be treating refugees. Pope John Paul II even quoted that the issue is a “shameful wound of our time.” In chapter 2211, it exclaims that “the political community has a duty to honour the family, to assist it, and to ensure especially the right to private property, to free enterprise, to obtain work and housing, and the right to emigrate.” All these points go against the idea of home displacement and what is occurring and is therefore in a way moral evil, as no one has a right to take away someone’s home, unless of course it is because of natural disasters. In that case it would be considered natural evil. Another similar chapter is 2241. “The more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extend they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and means of livelihood which he cannot find in his own country of origin.” This response would influence a Catholics ethical decision making in response to the issue, as it would guide a person to always embrace any visitors/guests to their country, instead of treating them the opposite. This same message is very similarly portrayed in chapter 1926, as it exclaims that “everyone should be concerned and support institutions that improve the condition of human life.” As all these examples originally came from a church book authorised by the Pope, John Paul II, they would be considered extremely reliable. All the chapters in the Catechism sum up the beliefs of the Catholic faithful, and thereby should be followed and considered