Posted on 06/03/2007 5:52:10 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
A leading official with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops says U.S. policies leading to the deportation of undocumented immigrants are "immoral."
"They need to put a halt to this," said San Bernardino Bishop Gerald Barnes, who heads up the migration committee of the nationwide Catholic group.
"It's immoral to divide families like that," said Barnes after addressing more than a hundred people at St. Norbert's church Saturday in Orange.
The gathering, titled "Hunger for Justice Hearing," sought testimony from people affected by the current raids being carried out by the Department of Homeland Security.
Joined by Orange County Auxiliary Bishop Jaime Soto, Barnes heard tales from numerous students and workers who have been affected by family separations due to deportations and their undocumented status.
Soto and Barnes are calling on Catholics to express their own dismay to their congressional representatives as Congress continues debating the "Dream Act," which aims to overhaul the nation's immigration policies.
Several members of Orange County's delegation have called the proposal an amnesty program, which would allow undocumented immigrants a pathway toward citizenship. It would require certain fines as well as leaving the country.
Opponents of illegal immigration have expressed concerns about the church lobby effort, arguing that church leaders are encouraging illegal behavior by ignoring the fact that undocumented migrants have violated federal immigration laws.
Barnes and Soto argue that the current immigration debate fails to make the connection between the economic system that encourages such migration and produces low-priced products and services.
"Those that have been given more," Barnes said, "have a moral obligation to help those with less."
(Excerpt) Read more at ocregister.com ...
I believe that the Catholic church looks at illegals as a new and big influx of members and money. They realize that they are losing members in droves due in part to the liberal policies of the church.
If you ask me if I will see a day where the Catholic church in America will be to the left of the Labour Party of New Zealand (which is a member of Socialist International), this may be it.
We could be really sporting, and offer to deport any family members of the prospective deportee(s) at the same time.
ML/NJ
If it’s immoral to divide families, the good father should be advising his parishioners (in spanish of course) not to leave their families in el salvador and parents not to leave their children in Guatemala to sneak into our country to work for $15 an hour so the folks back home can have cars and TV’s (Having just read a series of interviews with illegals about why they came, how they live here and what they do with the money they earn- disgusting)
And the shortcomings of the government of Mexico should therefore become the problems of the USA???
"Those that have been given more," Barnes said, "have a moral obligation to help those with less."
So, do it in Mexico. Ship the illegals back there. If you want increased immigration, lobby for an increase in LEGAL immigration, not legalization of criminals.
The Church appears to be forgetting the OTHER have of the catechetical teaching on immigration---that nations have the right to determine who "enters their premises".
Agreed but not a legal or political obligation. This is the role of charity and the Church should be the leader in matters of charity. It should also call on its members to be charitable in the process. This means being persuasive with members concerning the righteousness of the charitable act.
The Church should NOT be calling on people to break the laws of the country. Shame on this Bishop for not "render(ing) unto Caesar".
His statement smacks of the same kind of pandering for membership that we see when the liberals pander for votes.
This self-important idiot (a parasite, actually) reminds me of the ignorant other practitioners of the delusional art, the ayatollahs...
National sovereignty is an essential function of "Caesar's things".
Whatever happened to "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's..."?
Incidentally, the US is not "separating families", and has not ever. The choice of separation is entirely the illegal criminal's.
Just sayin'...
Some outspoken members of the episcopacy, which the media is far too willing to pay attention to, may think that; obviously they don't take part in the collection and see first hand how many illegals sit on their hands, but there prudential statements, aka meaningless opinions, are in direct contrast to the teaching of the Church.
2241 The more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and the means of livelihood which he cannot find in his country of origin. Public authorities should see to it that the natural right is respected that places a guest under the protection of those who receive him.
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.(emphasis added)
They realize that they are losing members in droves due in part to the liberal policies of the church.
An opinion contradicted by the facts.
Let’s never forget the Decree of the Pope in 1496 in which he divided up the New World between Spain and Portugal by his Line of Demarcation. The English colonists, of course, didn’t get the memo. To the Vatican, the English Protestants have been usurpers on the soil of America and violators of its sacred bull —
Yeah! Wasn't this how Brazil became Portuguese....and the rest of South America became Spanish? The Pope, thinking the majority of the land would go to Portugal, because at that point no one knew how extensive the continents really were.
Evidently, the Portuguese were held in very high esteem. When you look at it in retrospect it would appear the Spanish were the ones actually held in high esteem!
The Spanish won the lottery. All the Portuguese got was Brazil but it was enough for them. But the other sea-faring Catholic nations like France were not happy with the arrangement either.
lib bishops from southern CA, correct?
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