Who is my neighbour? Open letter from Polish priests and religious

Photo by Yudi Indrawan on Unsplash

Fr Jarek Pachocki OMI writes: 'I've had the opportunity to join a group of ordinary priests and religious sisters in Poland in signing an open letter written in response to the growing wave of far-right nationalism and anti-immigration sentiment in the country. In a time when fear and division are too often weaponized, this letter is a heartfelt call to return to the core of the Gospel-to stand with the vulnerable, to build bridges rather than borders, and to remain rooted in the dignity of every human person.

Here is the English translation of the letter, signed by over priests and religious

Brothers and Sisters,

Dear Friends,

We address you as clergy who share everyday life with you: prayer, sacraments, conversations, and the difficult questions that life brings. We are not experts in international affairs. We write to you as ordinary people who-like many of you-wonder how to remain faithful to the Gospel in these troubling times.

In a letter from October 2020, we wrote that, in the name of the Gospel, we must immediately defend those at risk of persecution-especially refugees and migrants.

Today we return to those words because they remind us of a principle that never expires: every person deserves dignity, help, and a chance to be a neighbour. This is what Jesus taught in the parable of the Good Samaritan-he did not ask who the injured man was, but who would become his neighbour. The Church must never cease to remind us of this.

As a nation that has uniquely experienced many forms of emigration over the centuries-from political exile to economic migration-we should demonstrate particular understanding for people who, for various reasons, leave their homes and homelands.

Who, if not we Poles, understand how easily a person can become a stranger in their own country? How dramatic the fate of those who must flee, leaving behind home, family, language, and culture? What society felt more afflicted by a virtual wall-the Iron Curtain-which for decades effectively cut us off from the civilization we've belonged to for centuries, robbing us of freedom and dignity?

That is why the Church community in Poland-which for generations endured displacement, persecution, and wandering-should be the first to show understanding to those who today seek shelter, understanding, or simply a better life.

Many of us have pastoral experience in international parishes and monasteries, and we know how valuable and beautiful it is to build a Catholic community that reflects the diversity of the universal Church.

Let us walk together on the path of reconciliation, hospitality, and mutual respect. Let us believe that such an attitude is not naive-it is evangelical. Only it can overcome the fear and indifference that cloud our minds and-worse-close our hearts. Let us be defenders not of borders, but of bridges between nations.

This is not about abandoning responsibility or being naive. It is about looking at others with the heart. About not turning concern for safety into mistrust of everyone who looks different or speaks another language.

You can read the original version of the letter published in Polish here: List księży i sióstr zakonnych o migrantach: patrzeć na człowieka sercem