Archdiocese orders removal of church's 'divisive' Nativity display — but church leaders are dragging their feet

A Catholic church's Nativity display criticizing the administration's immigration policies was ordered to be removed by the Boston Archdiocese, but church leaders are trying to stall the decision.

The Saint Susanna Parish in Dedham, Massachusetts, has displayed an empty Nativity scene with a sign reading, "ICE was here," implying that the biblical figures were dragged away for detention. There's also a sign with a phone number people can call if they spot an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.

'Any divisiveness is a reflection of our polarized society, much of which originates with the changing, unjust policies and laws of the current United States administration.'

Fr. Stephen Josoma said the scene is supposed to protest the poor treatment of immigrants in his community.

"That some do not agree with our message does not render our display sacrilegious, or as the cause of any scandal to the faithful," the church pastor claimed. "Any divisiveness is a reflection of our polarized society, much of which originates with the changing, unjust policies and laws of the current United States administration."

However, the Archdiocese of Boston has ordered it to be shut down over rules against politicizing sacred objects.

"The people of God have the right to expect that when they come to church they will encounter genuine opportunities for prayer and Catholic worship, not divisive political messaging," read a statement from the archdiocese.

"The church’s norms prohibit the use of sacred objects for any purpose other than the devotion of God’s people," the archdiocese added. "Regarding the recent incident, St. Susanna Parish neither requested nor received permission from the Archdiocese to depart from this canonical norm or to place a politically divisive display outside the church. The display should be removed, and the manger restored to its proper sacred purpose."

Josoma said he wants to meet with Archbishop Richard Henning before deciding whether to follow the order.

Church parishioner Jeannie Connerney told WHDH-TV that she believed the order was not in line with statements from higher Catholic leaders criticizing the president's immigration policies.

"The pope has condemned ICE. The American bishops have condemned ICE. I don’t know why the Archdiocese is against them," she said.

This is not the first time the church has politicized its Nativity scene to oppose immigration policies.

RELATED: City officials back down after rejecting Nativity display at Christmas farmers' market

In 2018, members put the baby Jesus in a cage and closed off the wise men behind a wall. Josoma said at the time it wasn't necessarily against the Trump administration and instead referred to it as "gospel activism."

A similar Nativity scene has been set up outside of an Illinois church, where the baby Jesus had zip ties on his hands and centurions were depicted as ICE agents, even though the gospels make no mention of Roman centurions at the manger in Bethlehem.

"It's really important how we treat our neighbors because we find out if you read the Gospels, how we treat our neighbors is how we are treating Jesus," said Rev. Dr. Michael Woolf of Lake Street Church of Evanston.

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