Posted on 03/01/2006 11:58:59 AM PST by radar101
Wading back into the growing debate over illegal immigration, Cardinal Roger M. Mahony on Tuesday denounced what he called "hysterical" anti-immigrant sentiment sweeping California and the nation.
In an interview on the eve of Ash Wednesday, Mahony said he planned to use the first day of the Lenten season to call on all 288 parishes in the Los Angeles Archdiocese, the nation's largest, to fast, pray and press for humane immigration reform. U.S. Roman Catholic bishops support proposals for a guest-worker program, legalization of undocumented immigrants and more visas for migrants' families.
Mahony also criticized efforts by the Minuteman Project and other immigration control groups to police the border, saying that such efforts were a misguided reaction to national security concerns.
"The war on terror isn't going to be won through immigration restrictions," he said, adding that Al Qaeda operatives would not trek through miles of deadly desert to infiltrate the nation.
As spiritual leader of the 5 million-member archdiocese, Mahony adds a powerful voice to what has become an acrimonious debate over illegal immigration, coming as the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee takes up a series of proposed immigration controls this week.
In his most forceful comments to date, Mahony said he would instruct his priests to defy legislation — if approved by Congress — that would require churches and other social organizations to ask immigrants for legal documentation before providing assistance and penalize them if they refuse to do so. That provision was included in the immigration bill recently passed by the House of Representatives; a similar proposal is in the version that the Senate Judiciary Committee plans to begin debating this week.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Looks more like a cannonball than simple wading to me.
It's all about economics for the Cathilic bishops...most of the illegal immigrants are coming from predominantly catholic countries...this is all about adding more people in the pews at a time when church attendance in Catholic parishes is dwindling...this has nothing to do with "Humane Immigration Reform."
I believe what the good Cardinal means is "Illegals", aka, people who have no regard for the sovereignty of the United States, have no compulsion to follow any of our laws in contradiction to their desires, and no ambition to assimilate, essentially inflicting their own, failed, inferior culture on the innocent people of the United States.
When people use words to distort the real meaning of what they're saying, it's a sure bet they have nefarious intents in their hearts.
(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,
"Render unto Caesar" now means the Church is drafted by the State into verifying immigration status - what happened to Separation of Church and State?!
...fast, pray and press for humane immigration reform...
**
Humane for whom, Mahony, the people who are bleeding the health and welfare systems paid for by people who are here legally?
You have to remember that when Kalifornia is ceded back to Mexico this Bishop wants to be allowed to stay open.
s/ maybe,& maybe not.
Is the church supposed to be able to aid and abet illegal aliens then, people who are in a constant state of breaking our laws simply by being here?
Perhaps the ACLU will take a stand against this.
HAHHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHHA!!!!
Ok, I'm done laughing.
70 emergency rooms have shut down in California in less than a decade (and more are to come). Illegal immigrants are indirectly killing or seriously harming scores.
I AM SO SICK OF THE CLERGY acting as politicians. They should stick to their churches or pay taxes if they want to participate in the process.
Mahoney can stick his mitar where the sun don't shine.
The Church breaks the law at the risk of being punished. As a Southern Baptist myself, I am appalled the government is even considering this - we don't make Priests give up murderers who have confessed to them, do we? Is that next?
P.S. Mahony is a Cardinal now, not Bishop.
Against the Cardinal? Or against the unConstitutional law?
Cardinal Mahony and Barf Alerts go hand in hand.
Perhaps a refresher Catechism class would be beneficial for the Cardinal to balance his pronouncements:
2241 .....
Political authorities, for the sake of the common good for which they are responsible, may make the exercise of the right to immigrate subject to various juridical conditions, especially with regard to the immigrants' duties toward their country of adoption. Immigrants are obliged to respect with gratitude the material and spiritual heritage of the country that receives them, to obey its laws and to assist in carrying civic burdens.
Is the Cardinal an illegal immigrant? Perhaps you can quote the Church doctrine that says Priests should indeed ask for immigration status prior to giving someone Communion?
And what about the impact on his congregants? I'm sure not all members of the parishes he represents have the financial means to absorb the tax increases that would result in his endeavor. After all, the impact of the Cardinal's position won't be limited to church charity. It will spill over into education, healthcare, housing, social service benefits, etc.
What financial impact is not already being absorbed - hiring special agents to break down Church doors during Mass - the Cardinal's "endeavor" was to call on all 288 parishes in the Los Angeles Archdiocese, the nation's largest, to fast, pray and press for humane immigration reform.
IF legislation is passed that required churches to ask immigrants for legal documentation before providing assistance and penalize them if they refuse to do so, do you think that would be held to be Constitutional - have you ever heard of SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE?
Against the law as the ACLU seems to rear their ugly head whenever an alleged church state violation exists.
Where was the Cardinal when:
Kerry campaigned for President as Pro-Choice?
When it was found that he had protected child-molestor priests?
FROM Wikipedia:
Born in Hollywood, Mahony was ordained a priest in the Diocese of Fresno on May 1, 1962. <
>While in Fresno, he taught social work at California State University, Fresno. On March 19, 1975, he was ordained titular bishop of Tamascani, and auxiliary bishop of Fresno.<
> That year, Governor Jerry Brown appointed Bishop Mahony the first chair of the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board, where he worked with the United Farm Workers and various growers in the state to resolve labor disputes<
>On February 15, 1980, Mahony was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Stockton. Mahony has admitted to firing at least two priests for sexual abuse while Bishop of Stockton, although critics believe there were additional cases of abuse during Mahony's tenure. Documents released by the church in October, 2005 reveal that Mahony participated in the inter-Parish transfers of more than 100 priests in his archdiocese accused of sexual abuse of children. See: Roman Catholic Church sex abuse scandal.
Yes I have.
I don't think the search engine has been built that can find that.
This isn't merely the hearing of confessions is it? No.
Lets carry this out to the extreme. If terrorists were hiding in our nation and the local Catholic church were supplying them with food, water, clothing, networking services and employment services, would that be okay too?
Some Catholic churchs are today providing these types of services to people who are breaking our laws? Is that right? Frankly I find it appauling that a Christian organization would be criminally complicit over breaking the law on a matter of this nature.
If we were talking about reactions to racist policies or something the government was doing that was totally wrong, I would approve of the church taking measures to help out the oppressed. What is going on here is the Church dictating to the government what it's policies will be on matters that are of no concern to the church.
If the Catholic church wants to help out the oppresed Mexican citizen, there's a whole nation just to the south of us where they can concentrate their funding and outreach efforts. And they won't need to aid and abet those breaking the law to do it.
The Catholic Church is fine, but there are flawed folks within its mammoth organization just as there are in any organization.
I understand his desire to express compassion for Mexicans and Latin Americans living in poverty but Southern California cannot absorb them all. I also understand the political importance of him speaking on this issue with the large Latino population among Catholics and in Southern California. He doesn't want to alienate them.
I do have a problem with Congress asking churches to become immigration police before rendering aid.
Hey he takes a stand against legal immigration, he is going to get criticized...enter the political field, be ready to fight, Senior Cardinale.
Good points.
Thanks. I appreciate it.
According to numerous articles posted here in the last 2 days, the US Governers agree with the Cardinal.
Great. Then he can and the others can be arrested for harboring criminals.
I hear you Ben. My own town built the illegals a gathering hall where they could wait for people to hire them in violation of our nation's laws.
On its face, if no taxpayer monies are involved, the proposed legislation is absurd.
The US already has ample code sections to prosecute those who assist in the commission of a crime.
God Bless and bookmark.
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