NOTRE DAME, Ind. --The Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross release a statement on Thursday in response to presidential executive actions taken by current United States President Donald Trump since taking office on Jan. 17.

"The administration’s executive actions show a pattern of cruelty that shocks the conscience," the letter reads.

"The Sisters of the Holy Cross call on all people of faith, government leaders, and all those with the power to influence change to reflect on the values of mercy, solidarity and stewardship. Let us work together to build a more just and compassionate world where the vulnerable are not forgotten and where the earth is cared for as a sacred gift."

Full statement:

We, Sisters of the Holy Cross, have watched in recent weeks as the presidential administration in the United States has targeted people living in situations of poverty and vulnerability in its own country and around the world. As women who proclaim that the Gospel is our rule of life, we are compelled to speak and to remind governments of the words of Jesus, “What you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do to me” (Matthew 25:40).

The administration’s executive actions show a pattern of cruelty that shocks the conscience.

Just a partial listing includes:

• The dismantling of USAID programs that provide food, health care and disaster relief to desperate people around the world.
• The abandonment of the refugee resettlement program, stranding refugees already vetted and approved but not yet in the country and abandoning our commitment to those refugees recently admitted.
• Sudden firings of civil servants who have dedicated years to public service through agencies such as our National Park Service, Veterans Affairs, USAID and National Institutes of Health.
• Targeting of immigrant communities through actions such as removing funding from organizations that assist immigrants, removing humanitarian protections for hundreds of thousands of immigrants who have been legally admitted to the United States, and targeting migrant families with children for arrest and detention.
• Stepping back from the country’s commitment to the environment through multiple actions that will exacerbate the climate crisis.

These and other edicts represent a crisis of morality and compel us to speak and say that such actions are not of God. They sow fear and threaten the dignity and freedom of our sisters and brothers. They are a betrayal of the fundamental teachings of Christ, who calls us to love our neighbors as ourselves, to care for the “least of these,” and to be stewards of the creation entrusted to us.

Our mission as Sisters of the Holy Cross calls us to speak on behalf of the marginalized and vulnerable, to uphold the sanctity of life in all its forms, and to advocate for those who are most in need. Through our corporate stands over the years, we have affirmed and reaffirmed our commitment to those most in need. We condemn any policies or actions that seek to harm or exploit vulnerable persons.

The Sisters of the Holy Cross call on all people of faith, government leaders, and all those with the power to influence change to reflect on the values of mercy, solidarity and stewardship. Let us work together to build a more just and compassionate world where the vulnerable are not forgotten and where the earth is cared for as a sacred gift.

General Leadership Team
Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross

Sister Sharlet Ann Wagner, CSC, president
Sister Esther Adjoa Entsiwah, CSC, first councilor
Sister Taposi (Gomes), CSC, treasurer
Sister Violet Rodrigues, CSC, councilor
Sister Verónica A. Fajardo, CSC, secretary