Thread: Bishops: US Should THANK Illegals

Bishops: US Should THANK Illegals
'letter to immigrants' to be released Monday

q1019.com
by Jim Forsyth
Sunday, December 11, 2011

The nation's 33 Hispanic Roman Catholic Bishops Monday will release a letter which says that undocumented immigrants deserve the 'thanks' of the United States, 1200 WOAI news has learned.



The Bishops have come out in support of comprehensive immigration reform and a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants before, but the letter to be released Monday by San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller, who, along with Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez are the highest ranking Mexican Americans in the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops, uses stronger language and goes further in offering support to immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally than ever before.



"We are well aware of the great sacrifice you make for your families' well being," portions of the letter addressed directly to undocumented immigrants in the U.S. and released to 1200 WOAI news on Sunday read. "Despite your contributions to the well-being of our country, instead of receiving our thanks, you are often treated as criminals because you have violated current immigration laws."



The letter is being released on the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the beloved patron said of Mexico and the Continental Americas. It is on December 12th that many immigrants to the U.S. from Latin America, who are overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, return to churches to reconnect with their heritage.



"This letter is pastoral in nature and is not about politics or programs," Garcia-Siller said. "It is my desire to offer comfort, kindness, and compassion to all immigrants who are suffering, especially at this time of year."



Garcia-Siller said he also wants to "assure immigrants of the solidarity and support of the Hispanic Bishops in the United States, and pledge to continue the advocacy of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for just reform of U.S. immigration policy."



He says the letter will express the Bishop’s ‘solidarity’ with the undocumented, and their ‘concern for their suffering.’



“In your suffering we see the face of Jesus Christ,” the letter says.

http://www.q1019.com/cc-common/mainh...#ixzz1gHiEyEtz

I get so tired of these priests talking this way. Of course that they are all Hispanic propbably says alot about this article.

Catholic Priests now there's a truth worthy bunch! Never any controversy in the Catholic Church!

Perhaps the Bishops would like the church to pay for the many social benefits that taxpayers now provide to illegals - to the tune of $113 billion per year. That's a lot of coins in the collection plate.

Catholic bishops: Don't treat illegal immigrants as criminals

latimes.com
L.A. NOW
Southern California -- this just in
December 12, 2011 | 2:03 pm

More than 30 Latino bishops of the U.S. Roman Catholic church, including Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez, have released a joint letter directly addressing undocumented immigrants and renewing their pledge to work for immigration law reform.

The letter, which acknowledged the suffering illegal immigrants face in coming to the U.S. and noted the difficult jobs, low wages and deportation of family members that the immigrants may face, called them a "revitalizing force" for the United States.

"Instead of receiving our thanks, you are often treated as criminals because you have violated current immigration laws," the bishops wrote in the three-page letter released on an important day for Latino Catholics, the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The letter also acknowledged that many Catholics have not supported the church's work with regard to immigration reform.

"The lack of a just, humane and effective reform of immigration laws negatively affects the common good of the United States," they wrote. "We promise to keep working to bring about this change.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lano...mmigrants.html

Hispanic bishops letter offers sympathy to illegal immigrants

reuters.com
By Jim Forsyth
SAN ANTONIO | Mon Dec 12, 2011 2:11pm EST

(Reuters) - The nation's 33 Hispanic Roman Catholic Bishops released on Monday a strongly worded "letter to immigrants" suggesting illegal immigrants deserve thanks from Americans, and calling for "denunciation of the forces which oppress them."

The bishops have come out in support of comprehensive immigration reform and a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants before, as they do again in the letter, but it uses stronger language and goes further in offering support to undocumented immigrants.

The letter was released by San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller and Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez, the highest ranking Mexican-Americans in the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops.

"We are well aware of the great sacrifice you make for your families' well being," portions of the letter say.

"Despite your contributions to the well-being of our country, instead of receiving our thanks, you are often treated as criminals because you have violated current immigration laws."

The letter is being released on the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico and the Continental Americas. On December 12 many immigrants to the United States from Latin America, who are overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, return to churches to reconnect with their heritage.

Garcia-Siller and Gomez, the only Latino Archbishops in the U.S. church, are natives of Mexico and U.S. citizens.

"This letter is pastoral in nature and is not about politics or programs," Garcia-Siller said. "It is my desire to offer comfort, kindness, and compassion to all immigrants who are suffering, especially at this time of year."

But groups that fight illegal immigration said the Bishops are placing the interests of their U.S. parishioners second.

"The reason that we have immigration laws is because they are there to protect the interests of the American people," Ira Mehlman, communications director of the group Federation for American Immigration Reform, said Monday.

"What the Bishops are saying, essentially, is that other people are going to have to sacrifice their jobs, their children's educational opportunities ... because the Catholic Church is placing the interests of illegal immigrants ahead of those who are legitimately here in the United States."

"The Catholic Church has seen immigration as a recruiting tool," Mehlman said. "That is not a legitimate interest of American immigration policy."

Garcia-Siller said he "can't control what other people say."

'PAINED AND SADDENED'

"It pains and saddens me that many of our Catholic brothers and sisters have not supported our petitions for changes in the immigration law that will protect the basic rights of immigrants," he said.

The letter pledges to "continue to advocate on behalf of global economic justice, so our brothers and sisters can find employment opportunities in their countries of origin that offer a living wage, and allow them to live with dignity."

Garcia-Siller said he also wants to "assure immigrants of the solidarity and support of the Hispanic Bishops in the United States, and pledges to continue the advocacy of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for 'just reform' of U.S. immigration policy."

He said the Bishops' demand is not for 'open borders' and he supports border security.

"Any new immigration law should include a program for worker visas that respects the immigrants' human rights, provides for their basic needs and ensures that they enter our country and work in a safe and orderly manner," he said, quoting from the letter.

But he vowed that the Bishops will "not wait until the law changes" to provide welcome and support for the undocumented in Catholic churches.

"In your suffering we see the face of Jesus Christ," he said to the immigrants.

Mehlman said the idea of the U.S. owing thanks to illegal immigrants was particularly offensive.

"It demonstrates that they simply don't understand the concept of what immigration law is all about," he said. "Ask the guy who used to do the job that is now being done by an illegal immigrant if they think the illegal immigrant needs to be thanked."

(Editing by Jerry Norton)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/ ... M120111212

Thank you for leaving and doing it the right way in line.

.... you are often treated as criminals because you have violated current immigration laws.

Wow. The level of idiocy in that sentiment defies all logic.

Treated as a criminal for breaking laws.

I would LMAO if it wasn't so sad.