By Communications Department - Archdiocese of Miami
Washington, D.C. | Following up on a request he originally made last December, Archbishop Thomas Wenski has written both the U.S. House and Senate to urge legislation that would extend bankruptcy protection to Puerto Rico.
“(T)he people of Puerto Rico are suffering from painful poverty and hunger, persistent joblessness, and other social problems, as a result of the financial crisis gripping the Commonwealth’s economy,” the archbishop wrote, quoting his own December letter. Archbishop Wenski was writing as chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.
While acknowledging that "poor decision-making" often plays a role in nations experiencing crippling debt, the archbishop quoted from St. John Paul II's apostolic exhortation, Ecclesia in America, which emphasized that it would be unjust to impose the burden resulting from these irresponsible decisions upon those who did not make them.
He also cited six moral principles that he said Congress should apply in this situation:
- Respect for the life and dignity of the human person: "Policies for Puerto Rico should honor the vital needfor just wages and help maximize the value of every dollar (through incentives and tax policy) forthose able to find employment, so that they may better provide for their families and build toward ahealthier economy."
- Protection of the poor and vulnerable: "The option for the poor calls us to give a priority concern, arising out of considerations of charity and justice, to the needs of the most vulnerable in economic, political, and social decisions."
- Participation and transparency: "Solutions in PuertoRico ought not to be imposed from the outside, and should be sought in clear and open ways thatinvolve the people of Puerto Rico themselves."
- The common good: "Legislation should ensure strong debt restructuring tools that bring Puerto Rico’s total debt to sustainable levels while protecting critical government functions for the people."
- Solidarity: "Solidarity calls for co-responsibility on the part of debtors and creditors in finding fair and workable solutions to this crisis..."
- Subsidiarity: "Ensuring that the needs of the most vulnerable are met requires the participation of civil society in decision-making processes around the debt issue. Every segment has a role to play, and policy ought to make space for each essential contribution."
"Of course, Puerto Rico is not a separate nation," Archbishop Wenski wrote. "Her people are United States citizens, and leaders have an obligation to address their unique circumstances with urgency and justice."
Click here for the complete letter to the Senate, and here for the complete letter to the House of Representatives.
