Christ Church Cathedral Indianapolis 'detains' Jesus, Mary, Joseph to protest Trump's immigration policy

Jesus Christ is in a cage.

Nativity statues of the baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph, which usually mark Christmas, were incarcerated Tuesday on the lawn of Christ Church Cathedral behind a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire.

The Rev. Stephen Carlsen, dean and rector of the church on Monument Circle, said the caged Holy Family is a protest to President Trump's zero-tolerance policy that is holding families in detention centers at the U.S.-Mexico border.

"I know what the Bible said," Carlsen said. "We're supposed to love our neighbors as ourselves."

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Indianapolis clergy: "Every family is holy."

The Rev. Lee Curtis, who came up with the idea for the demonstration, said the Biblical trio was a family of refugees seeking asylum in Egypt after Jesus' birth.

"An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, 'Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him,'" the Message Bible says in Matthew 2:13-14. "When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt."

Said Curtis: "This family is every family, and every family is holy."

Church cages Holy Family in protest to President Donald Trump's zero-tolerance policy Rev. Lee Curtis, who came up with the idea for the demonstration, said the Biblical trio was a family of refugees seeking asylum in Egypt.

The church set up the caged nativity scene Monday night as part of its #EveryFamilyIsHoly campaign.

Church has past history of social activism

This is not the first time the church has weighed in on social issues.

The clergy of the self-described "progressive" Episcopal church, Carlsen and Curtis, attended Saturday's Families Belong Together rally Downtown to protest family detention.

Last March, Curtis brought a group of youth to the March for Our Lives rally in Washington. Carlsen attended a local rally at the Indiana Statehouse with a group from the church.

Carlsen said the church has become progressive in recent years, especially since deciding to marry same-sex couples when Indiana legalized such marriage in 2014.

He said immigrant advocacy stems from the church's diverse congregation.

"This is an easy one for us," said Carlsen, a member of the local organization Faith in Indiana that advocates for immigrants. "It doesn't feel like we're out campaigning. This is about people I know and love, and I'm going to stand with them.”

Congregation, passerby react to visual demonstration against Trump policy

Mark Reckart, who is a member of Christ Church Cathedral, said he is proud of his church for putting up the demonstration. "It's a perfect way to show what's happening. It's families in cages. This is a family that resonates with a lot of people."

People walking by said the display was a powerful way to bring awareness to the situation at the border.

"I think it's bold," Matthew Roberts said. "It just makes me think about those families that are separated and pray for them."

"They were one of the first refugees," said Aija Evonen, a visitor from Finland. "It's a good sign. I appreciate it."

"I think Jesus intended everybody to get along and be free. Nobody should be enslaved," Randy Sylvia said. "I just think it's wrong."

Fred Andrews, a sexton at Christ Church Cathedral, said he hopes the demonstration reminds people to vote in the next election.

"It's sad," Andrews said. "Somewhere along the line, I guess, just hoping for a better life has been lost because it's politics involved."

Call IndyStar reporter Faith E. Pinho at (317) 444-6083.