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The Catholic Campaign for
Immigration Reform
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PLEASE SUPPORT COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM .
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WELCOME
The Catholic Church and Immigration Reform Georgetown University November 3, 2009 Theodore Cardinal McCarrick Archbishop Emeritus of Washington I am pleased to be here tonight as part of the Woodstock Theological Center forum. I want to congratulate the co-sponsors of this event, for both their dedication to the Church’s mission in this area and for the skill in which they articulate and promote the Catholic message. Without the continuing commitment of our priests, religious, and laity, the Church’s voice on the vital issues of our time would not reach all who should hear it. Click here to read The Catholic Church and Immigration Reform
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"Love the alien as yourself" This Catholic's View By Thomas J. Reese, S.J. Senior Fellow, Woodstock Theological Center, Georgetown University Octavio Gonzalez, a graduate of Georgetown University, would be picking corn and raising a few cattle in El Teul de Gonzalez, Mexico, if his father had not illegally trekked across the hills at the U.S.-Mexico border near San Ysidro, California, in 1969. Mr. Gonzalez never planned to stay permanently in the U.S., but he wanted something better for his children after he married a woman who had also crossed into the U.S. illegally after being turned back by a border guard who refused to let her cross even though she had a valid visa. "As much as they both wanted to stay with their families in Mexico, it was becoming clear to them that their aspirations for their children would not be possible living in Mexico," Octavio explained to a forum sponsored by the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University on November 3rd. "If they stayed to raise a family in Mexico, their children, like them, would go to school six months out of the year and work the fields on the ranch. We would certainly never get the opportunity to study through college." Click here to read
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Homily of Cardinal Justin Rigali Mass for Justice for Immigrants Campaign Saint Joseph’s Retreat House, Malvern Thursday, October 8, 2009
Dear Friends, all you who serve in the care of migrants and refugees, It is an honor to welcome you this morning to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and to the Malvern Retreat House: St. Joseph’s in the Hills for this the 2009 Philadelphia Regional Convening of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ campaign for immigration reform: Justice for Immigrants: A Journey of Hope. Click here to read Homily of Cardinal Justin Rigali Mass for Justice for Immigrants Campaign Saint Joseph’s Retreat House, Malvern
*************** CARDINAL McCARRICK BRINGS CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ PERSPECTIVE TO SENATE HEARING ON COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM WASHINGTON—Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Archbishop Emeritus of Washington, testified today in Congress before the Senate Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees, and Border Security on Comprehensive Immigration Reform. The hearing sought faith-based perspectives on immigration reform. "Our nation requires an immigration system that marries legal immigration with our long-term economic needs, the principle of family unity, and basic human rights. This will help restore the rule of law to our immigration system. Now, our immigration system accomplishes none of these goals," said Cardinal McCarrick. Click here to read
************ Statement of His Eminence Theodore Cardinal McCarrick Archbishop Emeritus of Washington, D.C. Before The Senate Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees, and Border Security on Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Faith-Based Perspectives I am Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Archbishop Emeritus of Washington, D.C., and consultant to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration. I testify today on behalf of the Committee of Migration on the Catholic Church’s perspective on comprehensive immigration reform. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to have the opportunity to testify today on this important topic. I would like to thank Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Immigration, and Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), ranking member, for holding this hearing on such a vital issue to our nation. I would also like to recognize Senator Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Jeff Sessions, ranking member of the committee, for their support for this hearing. Click here to read His Eminence Theodore Cardinal McCarrick Archbishop Emeritus of Washington, D.C. Before The Senate Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees, and Border Security on Comprehensive Immigration Reform: Faith-Based Perspectives
********** CARDENAL McCARRICK TESTIFICA ANTE EL SENADO SOBRE LA REFORMA INTEGRAL DEL SISTEMA INMIGRATORIO EN NOMBRE DE LOS OBISPOS WASHINGTON—El Cardenal Theodore McCarrick, arzobispo emérito de Washington, testificó hoy ante el Subcomité para Inmigración, Refugiados y Seguridad Fronteriza del Senado sobre la reforma integral del sistema inmigratorio estadounidense. El Subcomité invitó a las comunidades de fe a ofrecer sus perspectivas sobre la reforma de inmigración. Click here to read
************ Statement of Roger Cardinal Mahony Archbishop of Los Angeles Center for American Progress Washington, D.C. September 22, 2009 I am happy to be here today in Washington and would like to thank the Center for American Progress for hosting this event, which highlights the contributions of the faith community to the immigration debate in this country. It is gratifying to see that the role of faith and religion, which often can be marginalized in our increasingly secular world, is recognized as a force for good in our society. In my view, the faith community has helped define the national immigration debate, giving voice to those who are voiceless and enriching the discourse in a manner reflective of our nation’s honored traditions of civility and respect for our fellow human beings. Click here to read
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Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory Press Conference Calling for Immigration Reform Martin Luther King Center August 11, 2009, 2:30 p.m.
I am here today to join Congressman Hank Johnson, Chief Richard Pennington, and Jiles Ship in calling for comprehensive immigration reform. The U.S. Catholic Bishops have been in the forefront of calling for comprehensive reform for several years now. Every day in our social service programs, hospitals, and parishes, we see the human consequences of a failed system, in which families are separated, migrant workers are exploited by human smugglers and unscrupulous employers, and human lives end in horrible deaths in the American desert. Immigration is not simply an economic or social issue, but ultimately a humanitarian issue which impacts human dignity and human life. Click here to read Press Conference Calling for Immigration Reform
************ The Inclusion of Legal Immigrants in Health Care Reform by Kevin Appleby Background. One of the flashpoints of the national health care debate is whether Congress should include legal immigrants—lawful permanent residents awaiting citizenship---in any health care plan. Proponents, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), argue that legal immigrants pay taxes and otherwise contribute to the economy, and therefore should be eligible for coverage. They also argue that the general public health would improve if legal immigrants had access to health care, particularly health in immigrant communities. Opponents say that legal immigrants are not U.S. citizens and that any plan should only include U.S. citizens, and also suggest that the cost of including legal immigrants would be prohibitive. Click here to read The Inclusion of Legal Immigrants in
Links to other USCCB information on the issue (copy and paste the links below): http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/national/health1.shtml http://www.usccb.org/prolife/issues/healthcare/index.shtml
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Summary of Migration in the New Encyclical by Todd Scribner Pope Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate, and International Migration Caritas in Veritate is Pope Benedict XVI’s third encyclical to date and is published in honor of Pope Paul VI’s Populorum Progressio. A primary theme throughout this new encyclical is the importance of Pope Paul’s notion of integral development and its application to the Twenty First Century world. For both Paul VI and Benedict XVI, integral development focuses on the person in her entirety: the spiritual, intellectual, personal and material characteristics. Although integral development presupposes a theological foundation with a view towards eternity, the notion of development has a temporal character as well, as it takes place in history. A proper understanding of integral development must consider the economic, political, and social conditions that affect human communities around the globe. Consequently, throughout the encyclical Benedict turns his attention to a wide range of pressing topics, including the environment, economic institutions, the nation state, and, of particular interest to us, the question of migration.
Click here to read Summary of Migration in the New Encyclical
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STATEMENT OF HIS EMINENCE CARDINAL FRANCIS GEORGE, OMI ARCHBISHOP OF CHICAGO PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS JUNE 18, 2009 On behalf of the United States Catholic Bishops, gathered in San Antonio, Texas, at our annual spring meeting, I would ask President Barack Obama and congressional leaders of both parties to work together to fashion and enact comprehensive immigration reform legislation before the end of the year. It has been clear for years that the United States immigration system requires repair and that reform legislation should not be delayed. We urge respect and observance of all just laws, and we do not approve or encourage the illegal entry of anyone into our country. From a humanitarian perspective, however, our fellow human beings, who migrate to support their families, continue to suffer at the hands of immigration policies that separate them from family members and drive them into remote parts of the American desert, sometimes to their deaths. This suffering should not continue. Now is the time to address this pressing humanitarian issue which affects so many lives and undermines basic human dignity. Our society should no longer tolerate a status quo that perpetuates a permanent underclass of persons and benefits from their labor without offering them legal protections. As a moral matter, we must resolve the legal status of those who are here without proper documentation so that they can fully contribute their talents to our nation’s economic, social and spiritual well being. Only through comprehensive reform can we restore the rule of law to our nation’s immigration system. We urge President Obama and congressional leaders to meet as soon as possible to discuss and draft comprehensive immigration reform legislation, with the goal of making it law by the end of 2009. The Catholic bishops of our country stand ready to assist in this effort. ************************
Click above for the action alert that we're sending out to our members. Feel free to change it and send it to your own networks. ************************
Statement of Most Reverend John C. Wester Bishop of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Chairman, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration Senate Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees, and Border Security
Hearing on Comprehensive Immigration Reform in 2009 April 30, 2009 On behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), I commend the Senate Committee on the Judiciary and Senator Schumer in particular for convening this hearing on the important subject of immigration reform. The USCCB has long advocated for policies that respect the human dignity of immigrants, refugees, asylum-seekers, and other people on the move. In addition, the USCCB has engaged in several decades of advocacy with Congress on a long list of immigration-related issues. As one of the largest social service providers in the country, we provide basic services to immigrants, refugees, asylum-seekers, and other newcomers. We believe that a properly-constituted immigration reform bill is the optimal way to safeguard the basic human rights of migrants, protect the integrity of the immigrant family, and promote the common good of our country. Reform is all the more pressing due to the outmoded state of our current immigration system. We should no longer condone a hidden underclass of human beings in our country and should bring them out of the shadows to fully contribute to society. Moreover, too few channels exist for low-skilled immigrants to enter the country and work or join family members in a safe and controlled manner. Recently, family unity has been compromised by a series of enforcement actions that have separated immigrant family members, including U.S. citizens. Enforcement-only strategies should be abandoned and replaced with a more comprehensive approach, including reforms in our legal immigration system. In our view, immigration reform should contain a broad-based legalization program which provides a path to citizenship; a future worker program with protections for both immigrant and domestic workers; family-based immigration reform that reduces backlogs without harming the current preference categories; restoration of due-process protections, including revision of the three- and ten-year bars and restoration of judicial discretion in deportation hearings; integration and implementation provisions; and measures that address the root causes of unlawful migration by encouraging economic development in sending countries. Attached please find an outline of important elements necessary for just reform. It is the view of the U.S. bishops that immigration reform needs to be enacted sooner rather than later. We urge the President and Congress to begin formulating appropriate legislation and to educate the American public about the importance of its enactment. As we have seen in the past, enacting immigration reform will require resolve, diligence, patience, and prudence. As we move forward with the debate, we urge our elected officials to resist the loud and minority voices that oppose reform and which use harsh rhetoric against immigrants and those who support them. We firmly believe that immigration reform supports the common good of our nation and hope to work with Subcommittee Chairman Schumer and other members of the subcommittee toward its enactment in the days and months ahead. Thank you for your consideration of our views.
Click here: USCCB Priorities associated with this statement
***************************** "The so-called “illegals” are so not because they wish to defy the law; but, because the law does not provide them with any channels to regularize their status in our country – which needs their labor: they are not breaking the law, the law is breaking them." Most Reverend Thomas Wenski, Bishop of Orlando A JOURNEY OF HOPE Since the founding, the United States has received immigrants from around the world who have found opportunity and safe haven in a new land. The labor, values, and beliefs of immigrants from throughout the world have transformed the United States from a loose group of colonies into one of the leading democracies in the world today. From its founding to the present, the United States remains a nation of immigrants grounded in the firm belief that newcomers offer new energy, hope and cultural diversity. Our common faith in Jesus Christ moves us to search for ways that favor a spirit of solidarity. It is a faith that transcends borders and bids us to overcome all forms of discrimination and violence so that we may build relationships that are just and loving. Excerpts taken from Strangers No Longer, Together on the Journey of Hope, A Pastoral Letter Concerning Migration From the Catholic Bishops of Mexico and the United States.* This website is designed to help achieve the goals of the Justice for Immigrants Campaign. It provides tools and information for diocesan and community-based organizing, education, and advocacy efforts. You will find information about catholic teaching that underpin this Campaign, as well as proposals from the Catholic Bishops to achieve reforms in our nation's immigration laws and policies that better reflect our values as a nation of immigrants. We encourage you to visit this site often, as we will be updating it frequently, with resource materials, action alerts, and other information we hope you find useful. *Click here to read Strangers No Longer, Together on the Journey of Hope in Spanish version. |
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