This is the first in a three-part series on the “Hispanics in the U.S.” symposium held in Allenspark, Colo., Aug. 18-20.

    ALLENSPARK, Colo. • Pressing ethical issues affecting the nation’s political, social and business scene inspired the second “Hispanics in the U.S.” symposium, a weekend consisting of in-depth dialogue between national Hispanic business leaders and influential Catholic pastoral leaders.
    The Aug. 18-20 conference, held at the St. Malo Catholic Retreat Center in Allenspark, addressed both current and anticipated contributions of the Hispanic community to society and the Catholic Church in America.
    Archbishop José H. Gomez returned to Colorado for the gathering of bishops and lay people, which he helped develop in 2004 to provide a forum for discussing the continued evangelization of the Gospel in today’s society.

    Other prelates in attendance at the gathering included Archbishop Charles Chaput, OFM Cap., of Denver and Bishop Thomas Wenski of Orlando, Fla.

     Inspired by the late Pope John Paul II’s writing in “Ecclesia in America,” the conference seeks to continuously address the pastoral needs of the Catholic Church while at the same time, maintaining an informed awareness of both economic and cultural movement in the community. About 30 people from across the country attended the symposium, including a contingent of about half a dozen from San Antonio.
    In the welcoming address given by Archbishop Chaput on Aug. 18, he described Latinos as natural allies of the United States and a natural force for renewing and rehumanizing American life.

    “You have a unique responsibility,” he told the business leaders. “Unlike the new immigrants, you’re completely embedded in American life. Most of you exercise some form of leadership. But like many of the new immigrants, you share a set of cultural and spiritual values that are deeply influenced by the Catholic worldview. Because of your roles in society, you can make yourselves heard in a way most undocumented Hispanics cannot. That’s why your voice is so important.”

    He continued, “We often hear that America is a nation of immigrants. That’s obviously true. But who is the typical immigrant to the United States? (Although there are some historical exceptions) the typical immigrant has come from the lower social, economic and educational rungs of his or her original homeland. As the most disenfranchised members of their own society, they’re the ones who have little to lose. And regrettably, they usually have the fewest skills to communicate the richness of what they bring — the strengths of their own values and culture.”

    Archbishop Chaput observed how, in today’s climate of criticism of new immigrants, many successful Hispanics, especially second or third generation American Hispanics, seem embarrassed by the immigrants who followed them. “That can be a kind of betrayal — a betrayal not only of your fellow Hispanics, but, most importantly, a betrayal of the mission God has entrusted to you as providers of new life to our nation. The United States is the only major developed nation in the world with a stable or positive growth rate. And one of the central reasons for that is Hispanic immigration.”

    The Denver prelate recalled that, a few years ago, an Italian Catholic archbishop, Cardinal Giacomo Biffi, proposed to his government that if Italy needs immigrants to sustain its population then it should make sure to invite them from Latin America, because Latin Americans at least share culturally and religiously in Europe’s Catholic roots. Said Archbishop Chaput, “The Italian bishops have spoken very publicly about the serious difficulties that emerge in the growing number of Catholic-Muslim marriages, because of the profound misconceptions that Islam has about the dignity and role of women, the purpose of marriage, parental authority over children, and the nature of the family. No such problems exist in America.”

    As Pope John Paul II stressed again and again, the Colorado archbishop emphasized, America is one continent.
    “Americans, north and south — whether they speak English or Spanish, and despite their differences — share the same fundamental worldview and the same basic values deeply shaped by Christian faith,” he said. “Too many people in the United States live in fear that we’re a nation under siege: from one side by Islamic fanaticism, and from the other, by illegal immigration.”

    Archbishop Chaput expressed his hope that attendees would leave the meeting determined to help move the public discussion of the Hispanic presence in the United States away from misguided sloganeering about border walls and “illegal deadbeats” to a search for real partnership. “In the end, despite our differences, Latino people and Latino nations are natural allies of the United States, and a natural force for renewing and re-humanizing American life.”

    In addition, the archbishop called on his Hispanic listeners to recognize that their Catholic faith is the very core of the gifts they bring to American society. “I’m always intrigued that so many of the cultural traditions we take for granted in the United States trace back to religious events or beliefs. You can’t afford to lose your Catholic identity. If you ever do lose it, you’ll lose who you are. You’ll lose your soul. And we’ll all be made poorer by that loss,” he lamented. “Anglo culture has many great values and strengths. These have been decisive in turning our nation into the most powerful country in the world. But America also has an astonishing, negative capacity to turn every cultural tradition into just another excuse for consumerism. In 2006, for a lot of Americans, St. Patrick’s Day is basically about Irish beer and meatloaf, and Cinco de Mayo is pretty much about Mexican beer and Texas enchiladas. Something’s fundamentally wrong with our assumptions about who we are as a nation, and the ideals that undergird the American identity.”

    In closing, Archbishop Chaput, told those gathered at the symposium to strengthen and build upon their Catholic faith. “Make sure you become the persons our society needs to renew its greatness — not just its power and wealth, but its real greatness, which is always finally moral greatness,” he concluded. “The future of our country, in so many important ways, depends on you.”

    The conference also included liturgies celebrated by Archbishop Chaput and Bishop Wenski, dialogue and panel discussions on Hispanic culture and economic contribution. Panel members included Francisco García, director of the BTG Foundation; Jonathan Reyes, president of the Augustine Institute for the Denver Archdiocese; Martha Rubí-Byers, publisher of the Hispanic Yellow Pages of Colorado; Tina Griego, columnist for the Rocky Mountain News; Christine Johnson, president of the Community College of Denver; and Fran Maier; chancellor of the Archdiocese of Denver.

Part II will feature presentations from two San Antonio attendees at the event.