[TheCrusader]

Do you know what you're talking about when you claim the Catholic Church supports illegal immigration? What does the Vatican say about it, I'd like to know?

[StJacques]

"Do you know what you're talking about when you claim the Catholic Church supports illegal immigration? What does the Vatican say about it, I'd like to know?"

bpjam does not know what he's talking about Crusader. The Catholic Church opposes the forced deportation of 12 million illegal aliens, but has no problem with efforts to strengthen border security.

This is one more instance of how the immigration debate is destroying civil discourse in this country. First; opponents of the current immigration bill in the Senate ignore the legal penalities affixed to aliens currently residing in the U.S. and call it "amnesty" instead, even though "amnesty" means a free pass without legal penalty. And they now are expanding their rhetoric to say that anyone who opposes the forced deportation of 12 million people -- which is real police state stuff if you think the logistics through -- is actually supporting illegal immigration.

The truth is that anyone who supports the immigration bill now in the Senate supports the levying of thousands of dollars of fines (and back taxes on top of those fines) for anyone here illegally who chooses to pursue a path to citizenship. There is nothing "free" about thousands of dollars of fines. We need civilized debate very badly right now.

[bpjam]

Actually, I don't know that the Vatican has said anything. Apparently, being agnostic isn't heretical on this issue. But the Cardinals here in the US have pre-empted the Vatican on this issue. They ARE the ones making policy for the Holy Sea because nobody else is doing it.

None of these Bishops wants to move to Mexico and help the poor people there but they expect that Americans should want to do it here. I'd vote for sending Cardinal Mahoney to Mexico City or San Salvador where he can help the poor where they live instead of importing them to Los Angeles where taxpayers get to support them.

And if the Vatican does have some policy on this, I'd like to hear it myself. At this point, the actions ARE the policy in agreement with or absence of any guidance from Rome.