V Encuentro Proceedings and Conclusions

142 | Proceedings and Conclusions of the V National Encuentro of Hispanic/Latino Ministry 25. PRO-LIFE MINISTRIES I. Vision The Hispanic/Latino community faces many violations and threats against human dignity, including attacks on the right to life, which is the “fundamental right and condition for all other personal rights” ( Christifideles Laici , 38). Members of the immigrant Hispanic/Latino community face particular challenges that compound their vulnerability, such as being prevented from seeing and responding to threats because they are simply working to survive or living in the shadows to avoid deportation and family separation. Formation and support are needed to raise awareness of the threats, equip families to respond, and develop a comprehensive and coherent strategy to protect the right to life. II. Social and Religious Context in Hispanic Ministry • In addition to attacks on human life that are legally permitted in certain circumstances such as abortion, assisted suicide, and the death penalty, Hispanics in the V Encuentro consultation spoke about heightened threats to human life in their communities from: » » Lack of access to life-saving health services; » » Mental health issues and high suicide rates; » » Domestic violence; » » Gang violence, drug trafficking, and violent crime; » » Gun violence and mass killings; » » Violence motivated by racism or terrorism; » » Human trafficking and the mortal risks of trying to cross the border; » » The deadly impact of alcohol and drug abuse, including opiates; » » Climate change, environmental degradation, pollution, and natural disasters. • The Hispanic/Latino immigrant community lives with an undercurrent of fear, striving to survive amid cycles of crisis that make it difficult to see, step out, and defend against the attacks of the culture of death. • A united, stable, supportive family dynamic is often elusive due to multiple factors: violence, especially domestic and gang-related; parental discomfort addressing formative topics like sexuality; separation of families; long work hours; disconnection due to technology; and the manipulations of mass media that glamorize sex and wealth, promoting immediate gratification. • Lack of awareness leads to increased vulnerability. For example, foreign-born priests and lay immigrant Catholics may not understand the cultural context and legislative or policy aspects of life issues here. • There is a great need in the Hispanic/Latino community for more information and awareness about threats to life and attacks on the dignity of the person, which also threaten the faith, values, and identity of the community. • The complexity of life issues—moral, spiritual, legal, medical, scientific, etc.—can be overwhelming. • There is often resistance to or denial of cultural changes, as well as poor communication between parents and children, compounded by differences in their respective dominant language. • Hispanic/Latino parents and extended family struggle to accept, forgive, and extend mercy to young people. • Although abortion rates among Hispanic women declined by roughly 45% from 2007 to 2015, abortion still occurs at a 75% higher rate among Hispanic women than among white women (about 11.6 per 1,000 Ministerial Area Sessions