Archbishop José H. Gomez Sounds the Bugle On Immigration Reform with Clarity, Compassion and Common Sense

11/16/2012

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Catholic Church has always been a Church of immigrants - just as America has always been a nation of immigrants.

"American Catholics form one spiritual family drawn from some 60 ethnic and national groups from every continent. In the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, ministry and worship is conducted in 42 languages. About 70 percent of the flock I minister to is Hispanic. And Los Angeles is not exception - but a sign of the future. More than one-third of Catholics in America today are of Latino descent - and that number is growing."

"Hispanics accounted for almost 60 percent of our population growth in the last ten years. They now make up 16 percent of the U.S. population. Nearly one-quarter of all American children age 17 and under are Hispanic. So immigration policy, especially as it relates to Latino immigration, is of deep concern to us as Catholics and as citizens".

"The Church's perspective on these issues is rooted in Jesus Christ's teaching that every human person is created in God's image and has God-given dignity and rights. From a Catholic standpoint, America's founders got it exactly right. Human rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are universal and inalienable. They come from God, not governments. And these rights are not contingent on where you are born or what racial or ethnic group you are born into."

"The human right to life, the foundation of every other right, implies the natural right to emigrate. Because - in order for you and your family to live a life worthy of your God-given dignity, certain things are required. At minimum: food, shelter, clothing, and the means to make a decent living. If you and your family are unable to secure life's necessities in your home country - due to political instability, economic distress, religious persecution, or other conditions that offend basic human dignity - you must be free to seek these things in another country."

"In Catholic thinking, the right to immigration is a "natural right." That means it is universal and inalienable. But it is not absolute. Immigrants are obliged to respect and abide by the laws and traditions of the countries they come to reside in. Catholic teaching also recognizes the sovereignty of nations to secure their borders and make decisions about who - and how many - foreigners they allow into their countries."

"Our government has the duty to consider immigration's impact on the domestic economy and our national security. However, we must always make sure that we are not exaggerating these concerns in ways that deny the basic humanitarian needs of good people seeking refuge in our country. These Catholic principles are consistent with America's founding ideals. They are also consistent with America's proud legacy as one nation under God made up from many peoples of all races and creeds."

"Based on these principles the American bishops support comprehensive immigration policy reform that protects the integrity of our national borders and provides undocumented immigrants the opportunity to earn permanent residency and eventual citizenship. So the political issue is basically this: How can we find a way to accept these newcomers and balance that with the need for our nation to protect our borders, to control the flow of immigrants, and to keep track of who is living within our borders?"

"But the important thing for us is to approach these political issues - not as Democrats or Republicans, liberals or conservatives - but as Catholics. And as Catholics, we should be alarmed by the human toll of our failure to fix our broken immigration system.... America has always been a nation of justice and law. But as Americans we have also always been a people of generosity, mercy and forgiveness."

"Unfortunately, our nation's current response to illegal immigration is not worthy of our national character. My point is simple: We need to find a better way to make immigration policy and enforce it.And in this policy debate, Catholics have a special place; because Catholics especially bear the truth about all Americans. Namely, that we are all children of immigrants."

"If we trace the genealogies of everyone in this room today, they will lead us out beyond our borders to some foreign land where each of our ancestors originally came from. In my personal case, the first members of my family came to what now is Texas in 1805. Our inheritance comes to us now as a gift and as a duty."

"At the least, it means we should have some empathy for this new generation of immigrants.For Christians, empathy means seeing Jesus Christ in every person and especially in the poor and the vulnerable. And we need to remember, my friends: Jesus was uncompromising on this point.In the evening of our lives, he told us, our love for God will be judged by our love for him in the person of the least among us. This includes, he said, the immigrant or the stranger."

"Very few people "choose" to leave their homelands. Emigration is almost always forced upon people by the dire conditions they face in their lives. Most of the men and women who are here illegally have traveled hundreds even thousands of miles. They have left everything behind, risked their safety and even their lives. They did this, not for their own comfort or selfish needs. They did this to feed their loved ones. To be good mothers and fathers. To be loving sons and daughters."

The Archbishop of Los Angeles calls us to approach immigration reform with a Catholic mind and a Catholic heart - and to take our place in building a new and true Culture of Life and Civilization of love. He is correct in his assessment and we need to listen to his bugle call and line up.

We are not first liberal, conservative or any other permutation of political labels. We are first Catholics and, as such, we need to approach this issue - and every social issue - with the mind of the Lord as revealed through His Church. The Archbishop is the Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishop's Committee on Migration. On November 13, 2012 he further cemented his role as our champion on this important front with this statement:

"In light of the unprecedented bipartisan support for comprehensive immigration reform expressed during the last week, I call upon President Obama and congressional leadership to work together to enact bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform in 2013."

"I am heartened by the recent public statements of the leaders of both political parties supporting the consideration of comprehensive immigration reform in the new Congress. I urge the President and Congress to seize the moment and begin the challenging process of fashioning a bipartisan agreement."

"For decades, the U.S. Catholic bishops have advocated for a just and humane reform of our nation's immigration system. We have witnessed the family separation, exploitation, and the loss of life caused by the current system. Millions of persons remain in the shadows, without legal protection and marginalized from society. As a moral matter, this suffering must end."

"I invite our fellow Catholics and others of good will to make their voices heard in support of this important issue. I encourage our elected officials to work toward the creation of a system which upholds the rule of law, preserves family unity, and protects the human rights and dignity of the person."

The Archbishop has sounded the bugle for comprehensive immigration reform with clarity, compassion and common sense. He is right on comprehensive immigration reform. We need to listen to his bugle call and get to work.

- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Immigration, emigration, borders, social justice, Immigration reform, the least of these, Matthew 25, Archbishop Jos� H. Gomez, Deacon Keith Fournier

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1 - 10 of 21 Comments

blacksheep09
5 months ago
I hope the Catholic Church provides Gods wisdom on this issue, to paraphrase our Lord Christ Jesus "He who believes in me and obeys my commandments will be saved". We as believer's need to look at Gods three protected classes of people; the widow with no family, the orphan with no family, the alien for we are all alien's in a strange land trying to get back to our Father. The alien is not to be mistreated and is to obey the LAWS of the land he lives. Christ came as fulfillment of scripture not to abolish it; that means stealin', robbin', lyin' are still SINS according to GOD! Abram didn't just march into the Land of Canaan and demand free stuff, no he even paid for the tomb to bury his wife! Edom refused Moses did he take his people and just barge in? No Moses went around, of course to the detriment of Edom; Moses also offered to pay for what his people used, not steal, compel, coercie or strongarm others property. America has Too many people that have bonded themselves to political parties, "slaves vote my way and I'll give you wealth". Liberty does not give the individual the right to someone else's wallet! Slaves need to learn Gods word, as this one time lampstand fades away, what has been done for the greater good. If this nation is to turn from it's wicked ways we need to change our government from .God to .Gov..
Miss Marie
5 months ago
I live near a sanctuary city for illegal immigrants. The premise of wanting to assist good people with the desire to get out of badly run, crime ridden countries and offer them a better life and hope for their future is noble and good, but the key term is "assist"....not financially support for life. Sadly, people falling into the category of doing the right thing for themselves and their families is outnumbered by a lawless and immoral population falling on this side of our border. The reality is the financial burden on the local community from the "majority" that arrive with an entitlement attitude and/or have no problem committing various and sundry crimes to get what they want. If the Church really wants to advocate for change, for a better life for these citizens, and be a part of a long-term solution, its members should be focusing their energy on changing the system in the countries these citizens are fleeing from. The reality is that the US has quickly become fiscally and morally bankrupt and our last election proved a majority of American voters prefer government handouts to Gods teachings.
Robert Burford
5 months ago
I am the grandson of an immigrant. My grandfather and grandmother came to this country to make a better life for their children. The thing that helped my grandmother most was her neighbors when my grandfather died at 40. My mothers eleventh commandment was to take care of your neighbors Deut 10:19 and Exodus 22: 20 urges us to be kind to a stranger in a strange land. When my grandfather died it was Lutheran neighbors who helped my grandmother out until she could sell the farm and move to a place that she could support herself and her younger children. The older children worked and supported themselves and helped their mother. The answer was family, community and love of neighbors. We need to love our neighbors more and loose the attitude that we need to send them home. God put them in this country and we need to love, grow and treat them with respect. Just like any other neighbor.
judy claar
6 months ago
I have read All comments. They All indeed are valid. Why? Because we live in free thinking country (so far), and all belong to Christ's beautiful free thinking Church. I think that what each one said is true to one's own participation or environment. You all are truly loving, want the best for our nation and immigrants/illegals. I too,think back to the Reagan years and illegals, and how that did not work. I am a third generation Californian...this will be my last year in Ca.

We must be American Catholics. Protect our borders. Take a fair approach to illegals..and their children: "Do unto others as you would have done to you". Sunday Blessings...
youkokun
6 months ago
Yesterday I went to the new museum in downtown Hillsboro, OR. There's an entire section on the Braceros--"the arms"--how during the second World War the people who had been working in agriculture suddenly went off to enlist, and though America tried to be self-sufficient in its food production ("field trips" with school children picking vegetables, troops of American women in drill formations) even combined the American efforts flopped, either because they couldn't afford degrading themselves or because they were more interested in the industrial jobs, which to be fair did pay better. So the U.S. government went to the heart of Mexico and drew up an international plan with Mexico's consent. Thousands of peasant Mexicanos went to Mexico City where they signed a contract directly between themselves and the U.S. government stating they'd work the entire period and then return; they were transported by train to places like Alabama, Texas, California, and Oregon over a period of two weeks, sprayed with a chemical (DDT?) multiple times, each subsequent year when they returned from Mexico. From 75 to 90% of all crops harvested during the war were the result of Mexican Nationals' work. Then even after the war local farmers were reluctant to release Mexicans from their contracts, illegally charging them for room and board ($1.50 a day, when they earned 30cents an hour).
After all this I learned that even now there are migrant camps. My mother and her sisters worked there in the '80s, but right NOW there are migrant camps, and immigrants are still usually the only ones willing to do it. Farms are family owned and migrant picked.
My point is not to glorify Mexicans (God knows I'm ashamed of my former classmates) but to point out that we started it by inviting them and continuing to do so until '64.
Charlie Garcia
6 months ago
As soon as the millions of undocumented immigrants get legalized, there will be millions of new ones that will come with the hope that they will get papers some day as well. It happened once... Who will be responsible for those masses of new immigrants? What effect will have on our economy ans social fabric? Will the US become a giant California going bankrupt at any time now?

As a Catholic, I agree that we should be charitable with refugees that are pushed out of their countries due to war or extreme poverty. I visited Mexico and can assure you that not everybody comes here because they are poor, rather because that will allow them to have a bigger car and a bigger house when they go back. Please, go visit the small villages in the mountains surrounding the city of Mexico and you will see these houses that have been built with the clear intent of showing off. Oh yes, not everything with the immigration issue is like it is presented by the media.

Let's close the border first and then we can take care of those who are here without papers.
John mainhart
6 months ago
If you picture immigrants as well motivated people not subject to secularism it is easy to agree with the good Arch bishop. Americans created this problem because we refused to deal honestly with the problem during Regan's amnesty program. Since the businesses in this comntry wanted cheap labor we left immigrants come in without benefit of law. On the other hand those souls who came in used the system to get much more than what the poor might expect.
If I am poor I should expect other souls to help me with food, clothing, shelter and medicine. However I am not entitled to all the other benefits that the country, I emigrate to, give their citizens If I want those then I should follow the legal system of the country, including entry, I emigrated to. Public education is not ,a right as I see ,it and believe me when I say that when the United States Government wants Catholic schoole to teach same sex marriage and abortion as normal we, as Catholics will see whay it means to educate our own children at home.
FAITH
6 months ago
This is not an issue that is easy to discuss. I do not believe it is "for amnesty" or "against amnesty". It is truly about reform. That means first and foremost a real dialogue with a very corrupt Mexico and the securing of our borders against cruel Coyotes, drug dealing cartels etc. Some of the bad elements are only slipping in and out. For the people that are too oppressed to stay in Mexico or from any other country in which someone is physically, psychologically, and morally oppressed we must think of our "huddled masses". A reform of green cards and visas would be a start.....issued to those immigrants who would wish to begin citizenship. This would mean paying taxes. Unfortunately, many illegals have already gotten the message if they become legal....they will, indeed, pay taxes and yes, many "free giveaways" will cease, but our country cannot continue to pay the bills of so many with the few tax payers we currently have. Many are mad at or see the abuse of the entitlement programs by illegals, but the real problem is the U.S. government that has furthered its abuse and funding in order to use it as a Ticket to holding on to the White House. We need to find a way to secure our borders peacefully and welcome oppressed neighbors. If we severely cut entitlement programs like ISS, food stamps, etc. We would see more people seeking citizenship instead of "hand-outs". It is the government that is furthering the abuse and enslaving a people with programs that only want a better life for their families. For those that want to send money home and wish to ultimately go back to their perspective countries green cards that are heavily monitored would take care of that. We need to force our government to truly get serious about this problem....not everyone will come out on top, but we need to keep those that truly want citizenship and monitor, investigate (yes, we will have to do this), and send home those that do not wish to stay, bring drugs, oppress those they are smuggling in etc. WE NEED TO FORCE OUR GOVERNMENT TO DO THIS by voting and showing our displeasure with their policies. Complain, Complain, Complain!!! 2014 cannot come fast enough....find out who supports true reform and who just wants the "Status Quo" We must be Just and Generous which means REAL policies....We can do this....it does not need to be one party over the other...grass roots Americanism can and should begin the process. It means real work.
techwreck
6 months ago
Bishop Gomez says, "the American bishops support comprehensive immigration policy reform that protects the integrity of our national borders and provides undocumented immigrants the opportunity to earn permanent residency and eventual citizenship." He and the other bishops do not address either the unfair wait of those who have waited in line patiently for legal immigration. Nor does he speak to the unfair financial burden on the residents of the U.S. cities who have to pay for the health care and services to the freeloaders who cross our borders. Simplistic recommendations do more harm than good, raising false hopes. Why do our bishops not harness the vast intelligence of the Catholic laity and have them prepare comprehensive proposals for immigration reform that will give them a seat at the table? Then the Church could be a real participant! As it is, our bishops are playing at politics without the knowledge or resources to solve the problem. They lack the education and experience to lead the real comprehensive immigration reform which the nation needs and I support.
DarthJ
6 months ago
Pat Buchanan addresses this subject in length in his book, "Suicide of a Superpower."

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