A Massachusetts church is displaying an immigration-themed nativity scene that shows baby Jesus in a cage and the Three Wise Men trapped behind a wall.
Church officials at St. Susanna Parish in Dedham hope that the controversial display will prompt people to think about the way migrants are being treated at the U.S.-Mexico border — tensions that have intensified due to President Trump’s immigration policies.
“We try to take a picture of the world as it is and put it together with a Christmas message,” Father Stephen Josoma told CBS Boston.
The scene, titled “Peace on Earth?” shows Jesus separated from his parents.
Another display shows the Three Wise Men standing behind a fence in a scene that is supposed to be a reference to the caravan of migrants behind the border wall.
“Jesus was about taking care of one another. This is not the way we take care of one another,” Father Josoma said.
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Father Josoma says the scene was not created to bash President Trump’s policies — but instead a way for people to think about their world.
But some church-goers are not pleased with the immigration-themed message, saying that the church is a place of prayer, not politics.
Thousands of children have been separated from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
This isn’t the first time the church has sparked controversy with a nativity scene. Last year’s display included a list of mass shootings, including Las Vegas and Sandy Hook.
