refugee – Catholic Commission for Social Justice

by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI

Today, the last day of 2017, we have an opportunity to review the past year and to plan for 2018.

It was on December 28, 2016 that my father, Balgobin Ramdeen, passed away in hospital in London. My siblings and I were angry as we felt that he died because of hospital negligence. I quarreled with God. His funeral was held on January 5, 2017 and I had to deliver the Eulogy.

God calmed me as I reflected on what a privilege it was that God had placed my siblings and me in Pa’s care. I was not going to let my anger steal the joy of having had such a wonderful father to teach and guide me. My dear mother, Ruby Ramdeen (nee Manning), had died in 1995. Together, Ma and Pa raised us well.

“A change of attitude towards migrants and refugees is needed on the part of everyone, moving away from attitudes of defensiveness and fear, indifference and marginalisation – all typical of a throwaway culture – towards attitudes based on a culture of encounter, the only culture capable of building a better, more just and fraternal world.” Pope Francis

Tomorrow, June 20, the world will observe World Refugee Day. Catholics are called to care for the least of those among us and to welcome the stranger. On June 25,1982, Pope John Paul II described the problem of refugees in his letter to the High Commissioner of the United Nations for Refugees (UNHCR), as a “shameful wound of our time”.