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German Archbishop Compares U.S.-Mexico Border Wall to Berlin Wall, Cries for Human Dignity
Confirmed
In Short: Archbishop Stefan Hesse of Hamburg drew parallels between the U.S.-Mexico border wall and the Berlin Wall, warning against the loss of humanity in border policies.
Archbishop Stefan Hesse of Hamburg, during a recent trip to the U.S.-Mexico border, compared the towering fortifications and razor wire dividing Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, and El Paso, Texas, to the Berlin Wall, which divided Germany for nearly three decades. 'In a way, the inhumanity and massiveness of these border fortifications reminded me of the Berlin Wall, which divided the German capital for nearly 30 years and caused great suffering for the people living there,' Hesse told OSV News in an Aug. 31 interview.
The archbishop, who serves as chairman of the German bishops' conference's migration commission, embarked on an Aug. 20-27 'solidarity trip' to assess the humanitarian reality along key migration routes. 'Certainly, it is the state’s responsibility to regulate migration. But during my trip to Mexico and the U.S., I also witnessed what happens when migration is treated exclusively as a security issue: A fundamental sense of humanity ends up being lost,' he added.
Archbishop Hesse also highlighted the importance of addressing the human aspect of migration. 'Two cities that had essentially grown together into one — and whose populations remain connected in many ways — are now hermetically separated by a border wall and razor wire,' he said, referring to the impact on Ciudad Juárez and El Paso.
During his visit, the archbishop met migrants, volunteers, aid agency representatives, and civil and church leaders. 'As soon as wealthy countries focus primarily on deterrence and externalization, they fail to live up to their humanitarian responsibilities and risk losing sight of human dignity,' he emphasized, drawing attention to the need for a more compassionate approach to migration.
What's confirmed
- "The young man told me with remarkable openness how, with the help of his faith, he finally managed to escape the clutches of organized crime. Now he is involved in a project that helps young migrants find their way in Mexico," the archbishop said.
- "When Bishop Seitz and I celebrated a beautiful Mass in Ciudad Juárez with Mexicans, Americans and migrants, the bishop summed it up perfectly: In the church, there are no borders. That is how Catholicism is brought to life," he told OSV News.
- Also serving as the conference's special envoy for refugee issues, the archbishop has embarked on similar trips in past years, including Ukraine, Kenya and Egypt.
What's still developing
- Archbishop Stefan Hesse of Hamburg, who is the special representative for refugee issues for the German Bishops' Conference, looks through the U.S-Mexico border fence Aug.
- (OSV News/Courtesy German Bishops Conference//Daniela Elpers) Send your thoughts to Letters to the Editor.
- In Ciudad Juárez, Archbishop Hesse was joined by Bishop Seitz in a visit to a migrant youth center.
- “Surely people in the industrialized nations of North America and Europe have their own set of worries,” Archbishop Hesse told OSV News.