Steve Bannon shocks the Catholic Church with comments about illegal immigrants, but Cardinal Dolan has a sharp rebuke

Cardinal Dolan replied to Bannon's hyperbole.

Steve Bannon appears to have misspoken, and Cardinal Timothy Dolan has replied to his suggestion that the Catholic Church needs illegal immigrants to fill its collection plates. Bannon is also a Catholic.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) -- Steve Bannon, former White House strategist to President Donald Trump, made some remarkable comments on CBS's 60 Minutes new show. In his interview, he suggested that Catholic Church is amicable to illegal immigrants because it needs them to fill collection plates.

"The bishops have been terrible about this by the way. You know why? You know why? Because, unable to really come to grips with the problems in the church, they need illegal aliens.

"They need illegal aliens to fill the churches. That's -- it's obvious on the face of it.

"The entire Catholic [Conference of] bishops condemn him, Trump, is that they have an economic interest in unlimited immigration, unlimited illegal immigration."

Bannon's comments to Charlie Rose have raised the eyebrows of Catholic bishops, including Cardinal Timothy Dolan who responded to Bannon on Sirius XM. Dolan said, "That's insulting and that's just so ridiculous that it doesn't merit a comment."  Dolan and the Catholic Conference of Bishops support the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program because it protects children from being deported because of what their parents did.

The Catholic Church has asked all nations to be supportive and hospitable to immigrants. The Hebrews, who are our religious ancestors and the ancestors of Christ, were once immigrants. God himself has commanded we be hospitable to immigrants, in Exodus 22:21, "You will not molest or oppress aliens, for you yourselves were once aliens in Egypt."

While all nations have the right to manage their borders and immigration, there are realities that require compassion. Children are often caught in the middle of political and legal battles. The Church is a sanctuary for these people, providing them with a home that is familiar, wherever they go. The Church is a place of refuge and safety, and acceptance.

The Catholic Church does not need these people, who are often poor, to fill its collection plates. It serves them, not the other way around, and this is a blessing.

It is hoped that Bannon, who is himself Catholic, seeks reconciliation for his comments.