Pastoral letter on human rights

By TOMAS A. CAMACHO, D.D.

To the priests, sisters and faithful of the diocese:

Over the years, I have written to you about various moral situations. Just recently, my Easter message noted the difficult economic times we are having and the pressure that puts upon people. Some may feel that desperate times justify desperate measures to bolster the economy or simply to provide for our families. We must avoid this temptation in the light of Catholic teaching on human rights and justice.

In this pastoral letter, I take the opportunity to speak about our obligations to treat one another with dignity and honor, based not on social position, achievements, wealth, or any other determinants, but on the simple truth that each human being is created in the image of God. Our island culture maintains beautiful customs of respetu of elders and family members. These traditions should not be considered as mere precious relics of an earlier time, but as reminders of our obligations of respect for all persons.

We must never exploit our fellow human beings nor sacrifice their rights on the altar of “prosperity.” Indeed, Catholic social teaching emphasizes that no society can be considered truly prosperous if it neglects the needs of the poor and vulnerable. In light of the Gospel, it is unjust to ignore or trample upon the rights of any person or group of persons, no matter their youth, age, disability, national origin, religion, or lack of political significance. In short, human beings may not be used as a means to an end, whether that end be money-making, pleasure, or the pursuit of power.

On our small islands, we have experienced both the protection and exploitation of human rights. During the recent closure of many garment factories, some companies have conscientiously upheld their responsibilities towards their workers, making sure they were fully paid and facilitating their search for alternate livelihoods. Other companies, unfortunately, did not respect the human rights of their employees, abandoning them without pay, without resources, without mercy.

Last December, our community was approached to consider helping in the rehabilitation of child victims of sex trafficking in Vietnam and Cambodia. The Catholic Church abhors and condemns human trafficking in any form. Although lengthy discussion and debate led to the decision that our island lacked the resources to assist in that undertaking at that time, the desire to help the young victims and our disappointment in being unable to do so was articulated many times throughout the emotionally charged hearings.

In recent news, efforts are underway to eliminate loitering and soliciting in the downtown Garapan area. Also, accusations that workers have been brought in under false contracts, mistreated and under-paid have brought the issue of human trafficking into scrutiny again.

Not just a problem of business or government, this is a problem of the whole Island community. Not just a problem of foreigners, this is a problem affecting our whole society. Not just employers but customers must look at their moral responsibility. Watching strippers in night clubs is not innocent recreation. The common justification, “I’m not doing anything wrong because I’m not having sex with the dancers” involves a profound lack in the understanding of Catholic teaching as found in the Seventh Commandment as well as the Sixth and Ninth Commandments.

The patrons who support the provision of lascivious entertainment also encourage, directly or indirectly, those unjust labor practices which increase the economic profitability of such enterprises. Every person who participates in the exploitation of a human being is guilty of sin.

We can go one step further. Human trafficking is not limited to sensational cases which make the news. We must also ask ourselves: how do we treat our domestic workers? They too must be treated with respect, dignity and justice. Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth (1 Jn 3:18).

It is a great honor and privilege to be able to claim to be a Catholic Island. My dear people, let us be Catholic Christians in deed and in truth, and not merely talk about it! If our community allows human rights abuses, they will continue to happen. If our community as a whole does not tolerate abusive activities, they will stop.

In truth and love, justice and charity, together we can repair the tarnished international reputation of the CNMI.

(Tomas A. Camacho, D.D. is the bishop of the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa.)