Posted on 07/02/2010 9:47:02 PM PDT by NoLibZone
Commenting on President Obama's speech on immigration reform Thursday morning, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops migration director told CNA that the address was a “good sign” that the president is concerned and involved with the issue.
On July 1, President Obama spoke on the need to reform the country's “broken” immigration system, condemning partisanship and stressing the necessity of both parties working together to pass immigration reform. The president also criticized states such as Arizona for taking “ill-conceived” steps in devising their own legislative responses in reforming immigration policies.
Although the speech was received by the media with mixed reactions– including some commentators saying that the president addressed nothing new in his talk – USCCB director Migration and Public Affairs Kevin Appleby said that the address was important, since “without presidential leadership, immigration reform is not going to happen.”
“It was a good sign that the president did a high profile speech laying out the administration's view on this,” Appleby said during a phone interview on Thursday, adding that “it is a major issue on his agenda that needs to be examined.”
President Obama, he asserted, is “not going to shy away from this issue while many in Washington want to not take it up.”
During his speech, the president also “made a lot of references to the faith community and faith leaders being important,” Appleby noted. The speech was attended by about 250 people, including a Methodist bishop and several evangelical leaders.
Speaking on the U.S. bishops' perspective on immigration reform, Appleby said that “at this point the bishops and the president are very close in their viewpoint.”
“Certainly they might differ on the details, especially on enforcement, but I think by and large,” the president's speech “was an affirmation of where the Church is.”
When asked what the U.S. bishops' concerns are regarding immigration reform, Appleby listed “bringing people out of the shadows” for legalization, due process issues, and exploring underlying push factors for why people are immigrating to the U.S. in the first place as some of the major points.
Ultimately, the “Catholic community is key” to reform efforts, said Appleby. “Whether you agree or disagree with what the law says, there are people that are desperate and in need of assistance.”
For Catholics to understand the need for solidarity with immigrants is an “important message,” he concluded.
Are you and the Catholic Church pimping for amnesty? Or are you just pimping amnesty web sites?
Speaking on the U.S. bishops’ perspective on immigration reform, Appleby said that “at this point the bishops and the president are very close in their viewpoint.”
The Catholic church needs to fix a few of it’s other issues. Like harboring pedophiles.
Delusional
Ping!
Catholic Bishops want to keep the illegals here from Mexico because 99% of them are Catholic and they fill the church coffers on Sunday. That makes up for the lost revenue caused by the mass exodus out of the church over the “pedophile priests” scandal.
Strip the Catholic church of their tax exempt status and arrest any of them that are harboring criminal and illegals!
Didn’t the Catholic Church say the same thing when Hitler was coming to power?
As a 60 year old Catholic, that isn't easy to say!
Stop making donations and tell them why.
Bet the idea of migration would skid to a halt if the Muslims decided to migrate to the Vatican.
These guys are clearly anti-American and the US Taxpayers should reconsider their exemptions.
“These guys are clearly anti-American and the US Taxpayers should reconsider their exemptions.”
I agree with you 100% - and I’m Roman Catholic.
Immigrants = Illegal Aliens
The last time I checked aiding and abetting a criminal or criminals will get you some jail time.
I assume that law applies to both bishops and laypersons.
It’s a good sign alright, a sign that Bozo is completely off his frickin’ rocker.
And so what if the Roman church has stuck its foot in it politically from time to time, and still does today (there’s no right wing or centrist alternative to the USCCB is there?). It isn’t a political institution, it’s a religious institution. It should quit being full of itself and learn something from history about how not to get burned.
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