In a video which has garnered millions of views, Fr. James Martin states: “Don't forget that Jesus was once a refugee. So were Mary and Joseph.” To back up his point, he pointed to the first paragraph of Pope Pius XII’s 1952 encyclical Exsul Familia Nazarethana.
It is notable that the only papal encyclical written about migrants comes from Pope Pius XII. One could even speculate that this gives it a unique place of magisterial authority on the topic. So it’s not surprising that Fr. Martin would want to claim papal authority in support of his own views. The trouble for Fr. Martin is that his chosen authority not only doesn’t support him, but the logic of Pope Pius XII is utterly opposed to Fr. James Martin. And it’s a glorious thing to behold.
