WASHINGTON — No matter where Americans stand on illegal immigration, the U.S. bishops hope they will first look at the people involved as individuals who need to be treated humanely.
“We aim to educate Catholics on this issue,” the need to recognize that illegal immigrants are people first deserving of the dignity God gives everyone, said Kevin Appleby, director of Migration Policy and Public Affairs in the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Migration & Refugee Services Office.
The pastoral education effort of Catholics comes as Congress again considers an overhaul of the nation’s immigration policy, including a controversial legalization for millions of illegal immigrants. The bishops, who support an amnesty-like program, say the comprehensive approach is needed to ensure a legal path for illegal immigrants who are contributing to the American economy to openly join society.
“We hope to achieve a safe manner for people to come out of the shadows and live and work legally,” said Maria Odom, executive director of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, which supports a path to legalization.
The approach stems partly from the Catholic Catechism, which states in No. 2241 that “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.”
Additionally, the ongoing pro-immigrant effort to educate the laity stems from bishops’ long-standing views on immigrants in general. Those views were articulated in the 2003 pastoral letter from American and Mexican bishops, “Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope.” The letter details the reasons for the bishops’ position on the treatment of illegal immigrants, based on Scripture and Church tradition, and what that means for U.S. government policy.
“We ask our presidents to continue negotiations on migration issues to achieve a system of migration between the two countries that is more generous, just, and humane,” the pastoral letter states. “We call for legislatures of our two countries to effect a conscientious revision of the immigration laws and to establish a binational system that accepts migration flows, guaranteeing the dignity and human rights of the migrant.”
The letter adds: “Faith in the presence of Christ in the migrant leads to a conversion of mind and heart, which leads to a renewed spirit of communion and to the building of structures of solidarity to accompany the migrant.”
To implement this view and lead in the effort to promote human treatment of immigrants, the bishops’ conference has launched a concerted lobbying effort in recent months to encourage Congress to enact a comprehensive immigration package that would provide citizenship to an estimated 12 million people who entered the country illegally in recent years. Additionally, the conference is urging legislation to address the “root causes” in other countries that are driving the influx of such immigrants. International efforts should include encouraging economic and political reforms in Central and South American nations — from which many illegal immigrants come — to improve the availability of jobs there, according to the conference.
Such efforts to eliminate global underdevelopment are the ultimate antidote to illegal immigration, said Pope John Paul II in his 1995 message for World Migration Day.
Amnesty Opposition
The bishops’ advocacy for an immigration overhaul may prove critical to passage of such a measure before the mid-term elections. Liberal Democratic leaders of Congress recently released an outline of measures they plan to include in such a bill, including legalization for millions, a guest-worker program and stepped-up border enforcement. The measure drew praise from the bishops’ conference, although Archbishop Dennis Schnurr, chairman of the bishops’ Catholic Communications Committee, expressed reservations with some smaller provisions.
The advocacy for amnesty-like provisions — the heart of every proposed immigration overhaul — has encountered resistance from some Catholics, some of whom view illegal immigration as threatening an intrinsically secular concern: protection of national sovereignty.
“The strongest argument on the pro-immigration law enforcement side is that any amnesty will undermine respect for the law” among the immigrant population, said Andrew Yuengert, a professor of economics at Pepperdine University.
Although some heated rhetoric has occurred over the immigration issue, Appleby said the bishops’ conference wants to focus on a positive pastoral message that it hopes Catholics will accept.
“Catholics have a right to have a different opinion on immigration,” he said. “We just hope [Catholics] come to see it our way.”
Catholic opponents of amnesty-like legislation note that the Catechism also endorses the right of nations to determine and enforce their own immigration laws for the benefit of their citizens:
“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” (No. 2241).
And with about 25 million American citizens facing unemployment during the worst economic downturn in decades, immigration overhaul critics said, it is a terrible time to grant legal status to 12 million illegal immigrants who would immediately compete with current citizens for jobs.
“Where is our moral imperative to put Americans and legal immigrants back to work?” said Rosemary Jenks, director of government relations for Numbers USA, which opposes amnesty. “They have a right to have first shot at the jobs.”
Illegal Immigration Immoral?
Father Patrick Bascio, a Holy Ghost Father who has served in Tanzania, Trinidad and Grenada, agreed that there is “untold suffering of the black and legal Hispanic communities because they cannot find jobs — jobs taken by illegals.”
Supporters of legalization counter that most illegal immigrants are doing jobs that contribute to society but pay so little that Americans would be unwilling to take them.
Jenks blasted the morality of allowing American businesses to pay workers so little that only people who cannot work legally would accept such jobs.
“It’s offensive because that says ‘It’s okay to build our nation on a servant class,’” she said. “There is no morality in that.”
Although national data on the economic impact of illegal immigration on American workers is scarce, immigration control advocates highlight a 2003 University of Chicago study which estimated that immigration accounted for a 7.4 percentage-point decline in the employment rate of unskilled black males between 1980 and 2000. It shrank employment for black males with high school diplomas by nearly 3 percentage points. The authors concluded that the effect of immigration on black workers is three times as large as its effect on whites because immigrants are more likely to compete directly with blacks for jobs.
Steven Camarota, director of research at the Center for Immigration Studies, an immigration control advocacy group, published a 1997 study that found immigration reduced wages for American workers by 10% in some occupations.
Without any national research on specific job displacement, critics also highlight case studies, including a Government Accountability Office-cited study of Los Angeles janitorial services. That study tracked janitorial companies hiring since the late 1970s and found that when several small firms began hiring Mexican janitors at low pay, building owners dropped contracts with the companies that employed blacks in favor of the cheaper contractor. As the immigrant-employing firms grabbed more share of the market, local janitorial industry wages slipped from a peak of $6.58 an hour in 1983 to $5.63 an hour in 1985. The number of black janitors in L.A. also dropped from about 2,500 in the late 1970s to only 600 by 1985.
Father Bascio said reform efforts should focus on encouraging Third World nations to educate their youth and foster entrepreneurism that will allow would-be immigrants to support themselves and their families in their native country. This approach could counter the foreign government policies that encourage mass illegal immigration to the United States, said Father Bascio, who recently published On the Immorality of Illegal Immigration.
Whatever the outcome of the political fight over illegal immigration, the bishops’ message will remain the same: As they stated in “Strangers No Longer,” “Regardless of their legal status, migrants, like all persons, possess inherent human dignity that should be respected.”
Rich Daly writes from Washington.
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I came across a good debating resource that allows you to post comments and cast votes either for or against the New Immigration Law of Arizona without prior registration. I really recommend it: http://www.civiltalks.com
About four weeks ago there was a prayer vigil at the Arizona State Capital. Its purpose was to pray for Governor Jan Brewer to examine her consciences before signing SB1070. I find it ironic that no one is asking or praying for the examination of consciences of those that knowingly enter our country illegally and knowingly obtain fraudulent identification in order to make more money. I also find it ironic that as a Catholic I am encouraged to follow the teachings of the church which includes following laws of the land, and yet I see clergy of my faith encouraging people to somewhat disregard certain laws. It seems that the Church is holding America and its citizens to a higher level of accountability and almost making excuses for others.
This is an emotional issue with a lot of misinformation and misguided emotions. We cannot over look our obligation to humanity but cannot let emotions get in the way of reasonable enforcement of our laws.
Just once, I would like to have someone tell the American Catholics, just what the bishops of Mexico are doing to help their own. U.S. Bishops are playing on our conscience again, ‘we have to sacrifice for those of another country’. The Pres.Calderon states to all the world that we should have concern for his people, yet do we dare go to Mexico illegally? I cannot believe that our ‘stupid’ Congress clapped for the Calderon when he said it. (yes, I can call them ‘stupid’ if they can call we,the people, astroturf or teabags, etc.—and we pay their salary) I bet you that most of them do not know that if I, an American citizen crossed the Mexican border illegally, I would be put in prison, no questions asked. (Most of our congress live in their own little world) Why is it that the Americans have to always be on the helping side. You will say that we have so much? Well, I have news for the bishops of the U.S., many, many of us do not have “much” and do not live near as well as our bishops,do. My parents came here in the late 1800’s early 1900’s, they waited their turn, came legally, had a sponsor, etc. and worked darn hard to get along without help being offered by the Catholic church. Have our bishops been shopping lately? Try to buy something that is not made in Mexico or another country. We have helped and helped and helped other countries and yet we are asked to do more and more. The bishops don’t know where they stand, they love that President Obama believes in sharing the wealth, but they dislike the fact that he is pro-choice. Sorry bishops, you can have it all. Your decisions in the past were not all that good, remember? If you think I am picking on the bishops, you are right, they too, live in their own little world. The illegals are not only hurting the Americans, they are also hurting the legal immigrants. Yes, I feel sorry in my heart that they are needy and hungry, we also have needy people living on our streets that need help but we have to be realistic about life also. Another thing, these Mexicans who insult the American flag (and it is the young ones coming to age who do it), ought to be ashamed of themselves. My immigrant parents taught us to be proud of the American flag, not degrade it. Also, my husband and I worked hard & sacrificed to put our children through college and President Obama wants to give it to them ‘free’. Lets face it, in the end,President Calderon makes money for his country by having the illegals working here and our President is getting his VOTES! One way or another, the poor are always USED.
Does that mean that the bishops think that Americans aren’t people but slaves, and that you can do to them whatever you want to?
Mexico has far strickter immigration laws than Arizona does, yet the bishops don’t complain about that.
I realized something just before reading this article that helps me understand our bishops, priests and religious better. It helps explain, at least to me, why they are so politically allied in thinking with the pro-abortion Democrat Party. Just as most Democrat politicians haven’t built or run a business, the bishops, clergy and religious are even less knowledgeable in how to make money. The overwhelming majority of them have never had to work for a living. So, obviously, their mind-set is going to be along the lines of liberals and leftist. That is why they have empathy for the illegal immigrants; they are the lowest on the economic food chain and can identify with that condition. That further explains their interpretations of the bible along liberation theology means, without any direct teachings of Jesus to turn to and quote. Even the Catechism quoted for some of their position, No. 2241, is weak at best if not a misrepresentation of what the issue is.
If their “good intentions” didn’t create harm to the over all public well being, then being liberal like that would be OK. But the pro-abortion party has the same bishops’ “good intentions” and turns them into laws which do create problems for the public as we are experiencing right now, and have in the past, and will, even more so, when the bishops’ supported Obamacare kicks in for everyone in a couple years when the medical treatment coverages begin; (bishops support minus only the abortion funding and privacy protection, that is).
The one bright spot in the whole article was Father Patrick Bazcio, and for that, I thank you. I’m going out to get his book right now.
After reading several of the letters, I realize there is a big disconnect between “Catholics” and the Bishops, priests, nuns and those so called people that have the vow of poverty. When you live in the real world you know what it is to lose a job, to pay for health insurance, to feed a family. When a person travels he is to get all his papers in order. Would you ever even think of going to another country without a passport or taking care of health needs? The people coming here are illegally here. They could do it right. Look at all the people over the years that have done it and went through the process. These people are taking the jobs from people and expecting health care, housing, food stamps, etc. Do we want communism? We’re getting there. The bishops can tell us to have the government do something so we can have some order here. The way they are trying to indoctrinate us through their letters is only turning us off. I cannot vote for a liberal because of their stand on abortion. These bishops make no sense at all. I am so disappointed in the leadership of MY church.
If the Bishops are really concerned about the well being of the people crossing our border illegally they would oppose them. The inhumane treatement they receive from the coyotes should wake up the Bishops. But, as a previous reader stated, it’s money in the collection plate that is influencing them. Same as the Democrats ... it’s votes in the voting box.
Our country became the great country because THE PEOPLE stood up, fought and made it happen. What’s wrong with all these Mexican people that they can’t organize and stand up and make their country into something other than a dung heap?
My grandparents came from Germany, learned English, worked for a living and became Americans. During WWI and WWII they supported the USA, not Germany. These illegals don’t learn English, get every form of free assistance available, procure false identities and retain their allegiance to Mexico. Why should we want them in our country? I don’t want my country to become a dung heap!
Come legal or stay out!
How, as a general rule, are Americans not treating these people humanely? I know, from actually working at organizations that serve the poor, that within a week of arriving here, these people are signed up for all government and private benefits. They are able to drive - with a legitimate license they apply for at the DMV - buy property, sue in court, be educated in public schools, get free health care, and demonstrate. What is inhumane here?
Why do the Catholic Bishops encourage us to break laws to fix a problem caused by social systems in many Latin American countries? I can only speak for myself. My life in the US would have to be intolerable before I would leave friends, family and the land I know for a life of fear as a fugitive in a country where I do not read, write or speak the language. Perhaps, the Bishops should ask the hard probing questions to understand why these people are fleeing their own country. Perhaps, the Bishops need to live as peasants in Mexico for a few years…
” to the extent that they are able” .
There is a second paragraph in No. 2241 that states that immigrants are obliged to obey the laws of the country of adoption. I am not against immigration. My parents immigrated to America and did it legally. An ordered civil society must be based on morality and the rule of law otherwise it just falls apart.
“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.” No. 2241
Did it ever get through the skulls of the bishops that the “people who were affected” include Americans, over 6/10ths of which prefer immigration to be legal?
Why do the bureaucrats at the USCCB think that it’s their business to promote the left-wing of the Democratic Party?
In other words.. The Catholic church needs more Catholics.. MORE $$$$$.. It’s about BUSINESS.
This is a political and social matter for the citizens of the USA to decide. It is not a religious matter in any way, shape or form. The bishops have no business in this matter and as usual when they delve into politics they don’t understand, they are causing confusion that only leads to more problems and prolongs solutions.
Most priests cannot even offer the Mass properly; bishops focus on your own backyard and let us people in the real world take care of our country.
OPEN LETTER TO MY CATHOLIC CHURCH
Please STOP mixing Religion and Politics. Give to Caesar that which is Caesar’s, and to God, that which is God’s. We Catholics do not wish to hear that we’re going to ‘Hell’ if we don’t allow amnesty for illegals, social justice, or whatever other garbage this administration is spewing these days and turning them into your Marching Orders (Pelosi??) Why am I so angry? My sanctuary has been Violated (raped) by Communists and I shall not contribute to (tithe) nor attend any service (Mass) where God’s word is being twisted into a Communist Manifesto. Please, Catholics, wake up before it’s too late and don’t let THEM take over our churches!! I’ll continue praying on my knees in my closet until then.
It’s funny that the Bishops don’t want to get involved when it comes to certain politicians who are pro-abortion and receiving communion and calling themselves “Catholic” to the media but they have no problem coming down on the side of illegal immigration which is a polarized and very political issue. Illegal immigration brings poor Mexicans to the United States where our social programs (which we already have trouble paying for here and have bankrupted countries like Greece) take care of them but they don’t always consider themselves “Americans” like immigrants used to. My family immigrated from Germany legally. There’s a process for Mexicans who wish to be Americans to come to this country and become a citizen. Mexico should be helping to create jobs for it’s people. Not expecting us to create the jobs so that the money can go back to Mexico. I say when Mexico decided to have a lax immigration policy for their country they can comment on how “harsh” our policies are. Until then I think it’s okay that we regulate our borders and ask people to immigrate through a legal process. That is the way that supports social justice. The Bishops should stand firm on other political issues before they jump in the ring on immigration.
I live in the middle of this mess in Arizona and have had to reconcile my love for the Mexican people and their culture which is superior to ours in many ways and my love and loyalty to the Church. The bishops are just plain clueless. The only solution is to fix Mexico.
THE CATECHISM SAYS THAT WEATHLIER COUNTRIES SHOULD ACCEPT IMMIGRANTS, (NOT ILLEGAL ONES,) TO THE EXTENT THEY ARE ABLE. WITH OVER 10% UNEMPLOYMENT AND A DEFICIT CAUSED IN PART BY REMITTANCES TO OTHER COUNTRIES AND A DECLINING TAX BASE AS A RESULT OF MANY FACTORS ALONG WITH THE DRAIN ON HEALTH, EDUCATION AND OTHER SOCIAL SERVICES BY ILLEGAL IMMIRANTS WE ARE NOT ABLE TO ABSORB THEM. JPII IN 1996 SAID THAT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS SHOULD BE HELPED TO BECOME LEGAL( IF REASONABLE RE THE CATECHISM), BUT IF NOT REASONABLE THEY SHOULD BE HELPED TO FIND ANOTHER COUNTRY OR SENT BACK TO THEIR OWN.
The Vatican is a country and has countless, priceless treasures; why don’t they take them all in.
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