Mealy-Mouthed Catholic Support for Illegal Immigration

A friend sent me this link on The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website.

Evidently, January 8-14th is the 25th anniversay of "National Migration Week." I've never heard of it, but it got my attention. Migration is a pretty broad word, especially these days, so I read on.

The theme for 2006, as pictured at left, is "Journey to Justice."

Bishop Gerald R. Barnes elaborates as follows:

I invite you to join in the 25th anniversary observance of National Migration Week. The theme for 2006 is Journey to Justice, a journey which each of us is called to make in solidarity with migrants, immigrants, refugees, human trafficking victims, and other people on the move seeking justice and peace. As the U.S. bishops wrote with our brother bishops from Mexico in the pastoral letter "Strangers No Longer, Together on the Journey of Hope":

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.

Yeah, this is right about when my hackles go up. I know the church can be quite fond of political correctness and, to be frank, I just don't think the bishop is coming out and saying what he means here.

I'm down with faith transcending borders, but I get the feeling he might be lumping illegals in with faith when he talks about transcending borders. Again, I'm all for building relationships that are just, but I'm not sure he wouldn't include someone entering the country illegally in his definition of just relationships.

The bishop provides a link to "find out more about the campaign." It's called Justice for Immigrants.

What I'm really trying to find out, of course, is...

Does the Catholic Church support illegal immigration?

The Catholic Bishops do not condone unlawful entry or circumventions of our nation’s immigration laws. The bishops believe that reforms are necessary in order for our nation’s immigration system to respond to the realities of separated families and labor demands that compel people to immigrate to the United States, whether in an authorized or unauthorized fashion.

Our nation’s economy demands foreign labor, yet there are insufficient visas to meet this demand. Close family members of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents face interminable separations, sometimes of twenty years or longer, due to backlogs of available visas. U.S. immigration laws and policies need to be updated to reflect these realities.

Yeah, that's what I thought. The answer is: no, BUT...

My next question?

Does the Catholic Church support “amnesty”?

The Catholic bishops are proposing an earned legalization for those in this country in an unauthorized status and who have built up equities and are otherwise admissible. “Amnesty,” as commonly understood, implies a pardon and a reward for those who did not obey immigration laws, creating inequities for those who wait for legal entry. The bishops’ proposal is not an “amnesty.”

The Bishops’ earned legalization proposal provides a window of opportunity for undocumented immigrants who are already living in our communities and contributing to our nation to come forward, pay a fine and application fee, go through rigorous criminal background checks and security screenings, demonstrate that they have paid taxes and are learning English, and obtain a visa that could lead to permanent residency, over time.

Yeah, that's what I thought. The answer is: YES, but we're not going to just come out and say it, silly!

They say one thing, but mean another. They talk all around an answer without really giving one. They support something that is vastly unpopular with the American public, but plan to go right ahead with it anyway. Should they ever decide to answer a lower calling, I think the world of politics would welcome them with open arms.

And if you really want proof of their readiness for the world of politics, check out their immigration myths page. In it they list many of the common beefs that common citizens have with ILLEGAL immigration, then proceed to "debunk" them (with very old figures, no less) as if they were complaints leveled at all immigrants.

I have no doubt that there are plenty of Catholics out there who don't agree with this soft-headed pile of you-know-what. I just hope they're talking loudly about it because, if they're not, these guys are apparently more than happy to talk out both sides of their mouths for them.

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