http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/16108967.htm

Posted on Mon, Nov. 27, 2006

5:20 pm | Bishops: Illegals need citizenship path
TIM FUNK
tfunk@charlotteobserver.com

In a strongly worded letter sent Monday to members of Congress from the Carolinas, the Roman Catholic bishops in Charlotte, Raleigh and Charleston called for passage of comprehensive immigration legislation that would include a path to U.S. citizenship for those here illegally.

Their plea could present a challenge to three conservative Catholics -- GOP Reps. Patrick McHenry of Cherryville, Virginia Foxx of Banner Elk and Walter Jones of Farmville -- who stand with their church on such issues as abortion, but have been outspoken in their opposition to what they call amnesty for lawbreakers.

Also getting the letter: Republican Rep. Sue Myrick of Charlotte, a Methodist who is a national leader for the kind of enforcement-only legislation passed by the Republican House in 2005.

The Catholic bishops, who represent a U.S. church that is increasingly Hispanic, prefer the version passed last year by the Senate and endorsed by President Bush.

Calling the current immigration policy "severely flawed," the bishops -- including Bishop Peter Jugis of Charlotte -- said they were distressed by the rise in deportations in the Carolinas and by "dehumanizing rhetoric" aimed at illegal immigrants.

"Enforcement-only measures do not realistically address the substantive issues facing our country," Jugis and the others wrote. "Immigration is a moral concern impacting the human dignity and human rights of every person."

The bishops and their national group -- the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops -- back legislation that would reform the system, "including a viable and workable path to citizenship".

According to the two-page letter, the Catholic pastoral leaders also favor a temporary worker program that protects workers' rights, a reduction in the waiting time for family reunification, and "policies (that) address the root causes of migration in the sending countries."

The Catholic Church, which began in the United States as an immigrant church, opposed the House-passed enforcement-only bill that got the votes of most Carolinas' lawmakers.

Archbishop Roger Mahoney of the Los Angeles archdiocese even ordered parishes to disobey any laws enacted that would criminalize efforts to provide food, shelter and other aid to illegal immigrants.

The more comprehensive, Senate-passed version would seem to have a better chance at becoming law as the Democrats take over control of both houses of Congress in January.

And yet, North Carolina's newest member of Congress, Democratic Rep. Heath Shuler of Brevard, ran as a hard-liner on illegal immigration. He's a Southern Baptist who has said he opposes "amnesty" for illegal immigrants.

The letter was also signed by Bishop Michael Burbidge of Raleigh, Bishop Roger Baker of Charleston, Bishop Kevin Boland of Savannah and Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Atlanta. The letter also went to members of Congress from Georgia.