A strong statement on immigration from the Catholic bishops of the United States

Welcoming the stranger among us is a core Christian belief

I generally hope to include a bit of humor, when possible, when I offer my opinion on the issues of the day.

However, there is nothing funny about how the federal government, in our name, is treating immigrants, some legal and some not, who are currently in our country.

Which brings me to a powerful and provocative statement by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, an organization that represents all the bishops from sea to shining sea.

There are 196 dioceses in the United States, 12 of which are in California, including the vast, 20-county Diocese of Sacramento.

Meeting recently in Baltimore, the bishops issued a statement that noted, “We as Catholic bishops love our country and pray for prosperity. For this very reason, we feel compelled now in this environment to raise our voices in defense of God-given human dignity.”

Said the bishops, “We oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people and pray for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or law enforcement.”

Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the outgoing president of the group, noted that Bible teaching is to have “special care for strangers, aliens and sojourners. It is not rocket science, but the Word of God.”

Indeed, the God Book is filled with verses telling us to welcome the stranger among us.

In fact, according to a direct count by the folks at Franciscan Media, “In just the first five books of the Bible, welcoming the stranger is mentioned over 50 times.”

Here are just a few:

“When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.”

And the often quoted Matthew 25, “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”

I guess God really means it when it comes to strangers, newcomers and yes, those hard-working immigrants being chased, handcuffed and imprisoned for picking strawberries in Ventura County or fighting forest fires in Washington state.

The bishops’ official statement does not mince words.

“As pastors, we the bishops of the United States are bound to our people by ties of communion and compassion in Our Lord Jesus Christ. We are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement.

“We are saddened by the state of contemporary debate and the vilification of immigrants. We are concerned about the conditions in detention centers and the lack of access to pastoral care.

“We lament that some immigrants in the United States have arbitrarily lost their legal status. We are troubled by threats against the sanctity of houses of worship and the special nature of hospitals and schools.

“We are grieved when we meet parents who fear being detained when taking their children to school and when we try to console family members who have already been separated from their loved ones.

“Despite obstacles and prejudices, generations of immigrants have made enormous contributions to the well-being of our nation. We as Catholic bishops love our country and pray for prosperity. For this very reason, we feel compelled now in this environment to raise our voices in defense of God-given human dignity.

“Catholic teaching exhorts nations to recognize the fundamental dignity of all persons, including immigrants. We bishops advocate for a meaningful reform of our nation’s immigration laws and procedures. Human dignity and national security are not in conflict. Both are possible if people of good will work together.

“The Church’s teaching rests on the foundational concern for the human person, as created in the image and likeness of God. The priority of the Lord, as the Prophets remind us, is for those who are most vulnerable: the widow, the orphan, the poor and the stranger.

“The Church’s concern for neighbor and our concern here for immigrants is a response to the Lord’s command to love as He has loved us

“We note with gratitude that so many of our clergy, consecrated religious and lay faithful already accompany and assist immigrants in meeting their basic human needs. We urge all people of good will to continue and expand such efforts.

“To our immigrant brothers and sisters, we stand with you in your suffering, since, when one member suffers, all suffer. You are not alone.”

Amen.

Reach me at bobdunning@thewaryone.com