Archbishop Stefan Hesse of Hamburg, who is the special representative for refugee issues for the German Bishops\u2019 Conference, and Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, Texas, speak to people after celebrating Mass Aug. 26, 2026, at St. Patrick Cathedral in El Paso. (OSV News photo\/Daniela Elpers, courtesy German Bishops Conference)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nRecalling his visit to Mexico, Archbishop Hesse told OSV News that, due to restrictive U.S. policies, the country that was once \u201ca country of origin and transit\u201d has now become \u201ca destination country for migrants\u201d and is also facing additional challenges from deportations \u201cout of the U.S.\u201d<\/p>\n
The German prelate said he was struck by two distinct encounters, one \u201cwith an elderly gentleman from Cuba whom I met at the church-run Albergue Bel\u00e9n (\u201cBethlehem Shelter\u201d) in Tapachula.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe lived and worked in the U.S. for 46 years, was well integrated, and has now been deported to southern Mexico \u2014 to a region he doesn\u2019t know and where he has little prospect of a dignified life in his old age. His fate is like that of a tree that has been uprooted,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The second was with a young man from Ciudad Ju\u00e1rez who, at a young age, was involved in organized crime and had also worked as a \u201csmuggler\u201d who guided people along the treacherous border.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 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,\u201d the archbishop said.<\/p>\n
Amid the suffering of those along the border, Archbishop Hesse told OSV News that he had heard and witnessed that \u201cwithout the Church\u2019s services, the situation would be much worse.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cApproximately 80% of the shelters are run by the Church. There, refugees and migrants not only receive a roof over their heads but are also treated with dignity as human beings,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
One such example, he noted, was the CAFEMIN shelter run by the Sisters of St. Joseph in Mexico City, who \u201ctruly brings Pope Francis\u2019s four verbs to life: welcoming, protecting, promoting and integrating migrants.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, the archbishop also noticed that there is a \u201cwide gulf\u201d between Christian shelters that are \u201ccentered on the dignity of every single person\u201d and detention centers \u201cwhere migrants are primarily viewed as a threat.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCertainly, it is the state\u2019s 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,\u201d he told OSV News.<\/p>\n
In Ciudad Ju\u00e1rez, Archbishop Hesse was joined by Bishop Seitz in a visit to a migrant youth center. He expressed his gratitude to the bishop for welcoming him to the Diocese of El Paso and noted the diocese\u2019s support for migrant initiatives in Mexico.<\/p>\n
However, he said, what stood out was \u201cthe spiritual dimension,\u201d where people on either side of the border \u201csee themselves as one large Catholic community on both banks of the Rio Grande.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen Bishop Seitz and I celebrated a beautiful Mass in Ciudad Ju\u00e1rez 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,\u201d he told OSV News.<\/p>\n
Drawing a parallel between the migration crisis in the U.S. and growing tensions in Europe, especially in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta and in countries along the Mediterranean sea routes, Archbishop Hesse expressed concern that, in most circumstances, \u201cthe rule of law and the respect for human rights are declining.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAs 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,\u201d the archbishop said.<\/p>\n
Ensuring safe pathways for people seeking protection, while dedicating \u201csufficient resources for development cooperation,\u201d he said, would help reduce risks for those fleeing their homeland and address \u201cthe root causes of forced migration.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSurely people in the industrialized nations of North America and Europe have their own set of worries,\u201d Archbishop Hesse told OSV News. \u201cHowever, it is important to keep reminding ourselves of the situation in other regions of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we, as Americans and Europeans, reflect on such examples of charity and allow ourselves to be moved by them, we can succeed in overcoming our tendency to indifference and self-centeredness,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Junno Arocho Esteves is an international correspondent for OSV News. Follow him on X @jae_journalist.<\/p>\n
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