US Bishops Notify Congress of Policy Goals

This article comes from the National Catholic Reporter.

The bishops want equal access to the Internet for all!
-----------------------------------------------


Letters outline US bishops’ policy priorities 

Feb. 03, 2011

By Michael Sean Winters


The U.S. bishops released two letters to members of Congress late last month that outline “principles and priorities that guide the public policy efforts” of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The first letter, signed by the newly installed conference president, Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, exhorts the lawmakers to protect human life from conception to natural death. “Our prayers and hopes [are] that this newly elected Congress will advance the common good and defend the life and dignity of all, especially vulnerable and poor persons whose needs are critical in this time of difficult economic and policy choices.”

The letters were dated Jan. 14 and released to the public Jan. 18.

Dolan pledges to “seek ways to work constructively with the administration and the new Congress and others of goodwill to pursue policies which respect the dignity of all human life and bring greater justice to our nation and peace to our world.”

The second letter – signed by Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, head of the pro-life committee; Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, Calif., chairman of the justice and human development committee; and Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, chairman of the migration committee – dealt specifically with the issue of health care legislation.

Dolan wrote that the bishops approach public policy “not as politicians but as pastors and teachers … [of] the largest community of faith in the United States, one that serves every part of our nation and is present in almost every place on earth.”

The bishops “will work to retain essential, widely supported policies which show respect for unborn life, protect the conscience rights of health care providers and other Americans, and prevent government funding and promotion of abortion,” Dolan wrote. He asked that the Hyde Amendment, which prevents the use of federal funds for all elective abortion, be enacted as a permanent provision.

Dolan then articulated the bishops’ concern to defend traditional marriage, calling for vigorous enforcement of the Defense of Marriage Act, which limits the degree to which the federal government can recognize same-sex partnerships.

The letter next addressed a variety of concerns about social justice and the poor that range the bishops more on the political left than the political right.

It said that the bishops support economic policies that protect the poor, and call for aid to Catholic schools and continued funding for faith-based organizations that cooperate with the government in providing social services.

Dolan also addressed a novel issue: equal access to the Internet, the first time this issue has received such prominent attention from the bishops’ conference.

He called for comprehensive immigration reform, “recognizing that human dignity comes from God and does not depend on where people were born or how they came to our nation.” Among those items the bishops seek are “a path to earned citizenship, with attention to the fact that international trade and development policies influence economic opportunities in the countries from which immigrants come,” and some effort to prioritize family reunification.

Turning to international affairs, the letter calls for a “responsible” end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and voices special concern for the religious freedom of Christians and others, noting recent attacks on Christians in Egypt, Iraq and Nigeria, as well as the assassination of a Pakistani official who had spoken against that country’s blasphemy law.

Dolan also urged “continued and persistent leadership” to secure a lasting peace in the Holy Land, support for peaceful change in Sudan, and continued efforts to alleviate the sufferings of the people of Haiti.

Dolan’s letter follows the pattern set by Pope Benedict XVI in his encyclical letter Caritas in Veritate, albeit with far less explicit theological arguments. Dolan’s letter articulates a variety of concerns, all of which flow from the church’s teaching on human dignity, even though some of those concerns are shared mostly with Republicans and others mostly with Democrats.

Dolan’s letter appears to be a far cry from the position held by some conservative Catholics, such as Princeton University Professor Robert George, who argue that the church’s focus should be narrower, restricted to so-called “nonnegotiable” issues like opposition to abortion and support for traditional marriage and religious freedom.

Some might be disappointed to find that immigration comes near the very end, as if it were not a real priority for the bishops and a pressing issue for the country.

The second letter from the three bishops whose committees were most engaged in last year’s health care debate is primarily interesting because it didn’t support efforts to repeal the health care reform law.

“Throughout the last Congress the Catholic bishops of the United States affirmed our strong support for universal access to health care,” the bishops write. “Basic health care for all is a moral imperative, not yet completely achieved.”

They call for Congress to address the health care needs of immigrants, a need unaddressed in last year’s health care law.

The letter from the three bishops enumerates the bishops’ reservations concerning federal funding of abortion and conscience protections for health care workers and Catholics hospitals. They note that these last concerns can all be achieved by enacting other bills that amend the law without repealing it. One such effort, previously introduced in the last Congress, would put the original Stupak-Pitts language back in the law, codifying the Hyde Amendment by law rather than executive order, as President Obama did last year. The Stupak-Pitts Amendment failed last year when no Senate Republican promised to vote for the health care law if the amendment was attached to it.

Another prospective bill would shore up conscience protections for Catholic health care workers, a growing concern of the bishops.

No one seeking to repeal the health care law will likely find solace in this letter.

Both letters exemplify a lack of sharp elbows. The respectful tone, the lack of any demonization or mischaracterization of the views of others, the ideological balance and measured analysis, these all distinguish the bishops’ voices from so many others in the public square.

If the next three years of Dolan’s leadership follow the form and content of this letter, the church’s relationship with the political realm might be less volatile and more constructive then we’ve seen in recent years.

[Based in the nation’s capital, Michael Sean Winters writes the Distinctly Catholic blog.]

US Catholic Bishops Name Legislative Agenda

This article comes from Catholic Culture.
-----------------------------

US bishops outline 9 legislative priorities
Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), outlined the conference’s nine legislative priorities for the coming year. The top priority, he said in a letter to members of Congress, is the protection of innocent human life from abortion and euthanasia.

Most fundamentally, we will work to protect the lives of the most vulnerable and voiceless members of the human family, especially unborn children and those who are disabled or terminally ill [emphasis in text]. We will consistently defend the fundamental right to life from conception to natural death. Opposed to abortion as the direct killing of innocent human life, we will encourage one and all to seek common ground, reducing the number of abortions by providing compassionate and morally sound care for pregnant women and their unborn children. We will oppose legislative and other measures to expand abortion. We will work to retain essential, widely supported policies which show respect for unborn life, protect the conscience rights of health care providers and other Americans, and prevent government funding and promotion of abortion. The Hyde amendment and other provisions which for many years have prevented federal funding of abortion have a proven record of reducing abortions, and should be codified in permanent law. Efforts to force Americans to fund abortions with their tax dollars pose a serious moral challenge, and Congress should act to ensure that health care reform does not become a vehicle for such funding.

“In close connection with our defense of all human life and particularly the most vulnerable among us, we stand firm in our support for marriage which is and can only be a faithful, exclusive, lifelong union of one man and one woman,” he continued.

There is good reason why the law has always recognized this, and why it should continue to do so. In a manner unlike any other relationship, marriage makes a unique and irreplaceable contribution to the common good of society, especially through the procreation and education of children. Children need, deserve and yearn for a mother and a father. All human societies in every era of history, differing greatly among themselves in many other ways, have understood this simple wisdom. No other kinds of personal relationships can be justly made equivalent or analogous to the commitment of a husband and a wife in marriage, because no other relationship can connect children to the two people who brought them into the world. For this reason, we will continue to vigorously support the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and strongly oppose legislative or executive measures that seek to redefine or erode the meaning of marriage. We suggest Congressional oversight of executive actions that have the effect of undermining DOMA, such as the expansion of spousal benefits to two persons of the same sex, and the weak defense of DOMA in court against constitutional challenge. We will seek to reflect respect for the family in every policy and program, to protect the rights of children, and to uphold the rights and responsibilities of mothers and fathers to care for their children. We will also continue to monitor legislation and federal regulations that protect our children and families from the destructive repercussions of pornography, which degrades human sexuality and marital commitment.

The conference’s next four concern economic challenges, equity in educational funding for private schools, assisting faith-based groups in ways that do not require them “to abandon their identity or mission,” and “equal access to the Internet for all, including religious and non-profit agencies.” Archbishop Dolan then touched upon universal health care:

The Catholic Bishops of the United States have worked for nearly a century to assure health care for all, insisting that access to health care is a basic human right and a requirement of human dignity. Basic health care for all is a moral imperative, not yet completely achieved. We remain committed to our three moral criteria: 1) Ensure access to quality, affordable, life-giving health care for all; 2) Retain longstanding requirements that federal funds not be used for elective abortions or plans that include them, and effectively protect conscience rights; and 3) Protect the access to health care that immigrants currently have and remove current barriers to access. We will continue to devote our efforts to improving and correcting serious moral problems in the current law, so health care reform can truly be universal and life-affirming.

The conference’s final two legislative priorities concern comprehensive immigration reform and international affairs, with an emphasis on “responsible transitions to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan” and promoting “religious freedom for all, acting against religious repression of our fellow Christians and others.”

Pope Our Goal is to Form "One Human Family"

This article comes from the Catholic News Agency.
-------------------------------

Pope prays for the 'one human family' desired by Christ

 

By Alan Holdren, Rome Correspondent

Vatican City, Jan 16, 2011 / 10:33 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Marking the 97th World Day of Migrants and Refugees on Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI spoke of the "migration experience" of the Church and hoped for a future where all people consider themselves part of "one human family."

The Son of God was a refugee himself, said the Pope in his message before the noon Angelus prayer on Jan. 16, a beautiful spring-like day in Rome.

Beginning from when Jesus was born and his parents fled to Egypt to protect his life, the Church has always lived the "migration experience," he said.

He pointed out that the World Day of Migrants and Refugees invites reflection on the experience of the many people today who abandon their nations "often ... in dramatic conditions" in search of better lives.

Christians sometimes "feel forced to leave" their homes but in other cases their voluntary movements from one place to another become a source of "missionary dynamism" for God's message, "traversing peoples and cultures and reaching new frontiers."

The international day to remember those in movement, he said, is also a day to think to "the goal of the great voyage of humanity."

The goal, he said, is that of "forming a single family ... with all the differences that enrich it, but without barriers, recognizing ourselves all as brothers."

He cited a pair of quotes from Second Vatican Council documents to illustrate the Church's vision. Quoting "Nostra aetate," the Pope said, “one is the community of all peoples, one their origin, for God made the whole human race to live over the face of the earth."

"The Church," he continued, with a passage from the document "Lumen gentium,” "in Christ like a sacrament or as a sign and instrument both of a very closely knit union with God and of the unity of the whole human race."

"For this," he said, "it is fundamental that Christians, despite being dispersed through the world and ... diverse by culture and traditions, be a single thing, as the Lord wishes."

He pointed to the Jan. 18-25 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity as an initiative with this scope in mind.  The Day of Jewish-Christian dialogue on Jan. 17 is also a "very meaningful" occasion that serves as a call back to "the importance of the common roots that unite Jews and Christians," he said.

He concluded his pre-Angelus address with a prayer that Mary intercede to bring about the full unity of all those who follow Christ.

Following the prayer, the Pope expressed his joy for the May 1 beatification of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, and prayed for all those affected by recent flooding in Australia, Brazil, the Philippines and Sri Lanka.

DREAM Act Fails in Senate

 

This article comes from America.

-----------------------------------------

DREAM Act Fails to Pass 111th Congress; Back in 112th?

From CNS, staff and other sources

 
The Senate's inability to overcome a threatened filibuster Dec. 18 scuttled passage of the DREAM Act, prompting immigrant advocates to pledge to push forward on immigration reform next year with a new Congress and fight for what one immigrant leader termed the "respect we deserve."

The bill would have given young people brought to the United States as children by their undocumented parents a path to citizenship under a strict set of requirements. Under the measure, an estimated 2.1 million children of undocumented parents would have had an opportunity to go to college or join the military and legalize their status.

The U.S. bishops had long been supporters of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, which passed the House Dec. 9. Four U.S. bishops, including Cardinal Roger M. Mahony of Los Angeles, took part in a Dec. 17 conference call with reporters to argue for passage in the Senate.

The Senate needed 60 votes to break the filibuster, but fell five short, with 55 against it and 41 for it.

"Catholic Charities USA is deeply disappointed that the Senate rejected the vote on this important piece of legislation," said a Dec. 20 statement from Father Larry Snyder, Catholic Charities' president and CEO.

"Honor students, class presidents, athletes and responsible community members who desire a brighter future by continuing their education came up short this past weekend. Now, having entered our country as small children, they will continue to be cast into the shadows until, as a nation, we can find a way to address our broken immigration system," Father Snyder said.

"Today's vote on the DREAM Act, which ironically was held on the very day in which migrant communities around the world commemorate international migrant's day, represents the latest example of a failed political and legislative strategy when it comes to immigrant rights and immigration policy," said Oscar Chacon, executive director of the National Alliance for Latin American and Caribbean Communities, in a Dec. 18 statement.

"In particular, Latino immigrant communities must be creative and effective when it comes to our own organizing, empowerment and alliance building capacity in order to achieve the respect we deserve, but that so far has been denied to us," Chacon said.

Republican opponents of the DREAM Act saw the measure was a backdoor into granting amnesty for all illegal immigrants. "Treating the symptoms of the problem might make us feel better ... but it can allow the underlying problem to metastasize. Unfortunately, that's what's happening at our border," said Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz, said in a statement.

But Kjersten Forseth, executive director of ProgressNow Colorado, said: "The DREAM Act is a sensible and compassionate solution to a major problem in American immigration law, which has been routinely held hostage by the right wing and used in their campaign to demonize their political opponents."

"Fixing unintended problems in the law with regard to children in America, so they can attend college or serve our country, is good for our economy," Forseth said in a Dec. 18 statement.
The 55-41 Senate vote was largely along party lines. Five Democrats voted to support the filibuster, and three Republicans voted to block it.

AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka call the filibuster "a disappointing endorsement of injustice and inequality."

Chaput Throws Weight Behind DREAM Act

This article comes from the Catholic News Agency.
----------------------------------------------------


Archbishop Chaput lends his support to the DREAM Act

Washington D.C., Dec 17, 2010 / 07:24 pm (CNA).- Archbishop Charles J. Chaput joined his brother bishops in expressing support for the controversial DREAM Act – a bill that would grant citizenship to many children brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents. The bill is expected to be voted on by the Senate on Dec. 18.

Joining coadjutor Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles in endorsing the legislation, Archbishop Chaput issued a statement on Dec. 17 urging Catholics to contact their local lawmakers to vote in favor of the measure.

The act's full title is the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act. It would allow young people who entered the United States before the age of 16 to apply for legal permanent residence and eventual citizenship, as long as they have finished high school, have no criminal record, have lived in the U.S. for more than five years and have completed two years of college or military service.

While Democrats largely support the measure, Republicans have criticized it for encouraging illegal immigrants to bring their children across unsecured borders. The House has already passed the act, but the Senate vote on Saturday is expected to be close.

Archbishop Chaput said the bill “is about fairness to high school graduates who were brought to this country unlawfully through no fault of their own, since they came with their parents.”
He added that those who would benefit from the act are “talented, intelligent and dedicated young persons who know only the United States as their home.”

He called the bill “a practical, fair and compassionate solution for thousands of young persons in our nation who simply want to reach their God-given potential and contribute to the well-being of our nation.”

“This important piece of legislation is critical for the lives and hopes of thousands of young people across America,” the Denver archbishop said, urging people to contact their federal senators and representatives. Voting in favor of the act “is the right and just thing to do,” he said.
Adding to Archbishop Chaput's support of the bill, several U.S. bishops held a teleconference on Dec. 17 urging Congress to pass the legislation.

Those who participated in the conference included: Cardinal Roger Cardinal Mahony of Los Angeles, Archbishop Gomez, Bishop John C. Wester of Salt Lake City and Bishop Edward J. Burns of Juneau, Alaska.

US Bishops Praise Illegal Immigrant Bill

This article comes from the HeadlineBistro blog.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Bishops Support Route to Legal Citizenship

 

A bill that would help integrate immigrant children into the United States by granting them legal status made it through the House of Representatives last week. The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors act, or the DREAM Act, has been a goal for some legislators for the past decade, and as it just cleared the House by a vote of 216 to 198, it awaits a vote from the Senate later this month.

“We can give them a chance to serve,” Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the lead supported of the bill, told the New York Times last Wednesday about the undocumented immigrants who would benefit from the bill. “We can put them on a road where it will be difficult but no more difficult than what they’ve gone through in their lives. Or we can say, no, wait for another day.”

If passed, the DREAM Act would give undocumented immigrants who meet certain criteria a six-year window of temporary immigration status to complete two years of college or the same amount of military service. Criteria to participate require that applicants prove that they entered the United States before they were 16 years old; prove that they have lived in the U.S. for the past five years; are between 12 and 30 years old when the bill passes; have graduated from an American high school, received a GED or are accepted into college; and be of “good moral character.” If they complete the two years of either college or military in the six-year period, they are granted permanent residency status, which would help them achieve citizenship.

People are taking their usual sides on the bill -- some deriding it as amnesty and others clearly convinced of its value for children who were brought to the U.S. by parents at a young age -- and a number of bishops are openly supporting the bill calling it the right thing to do.

Some critics of the bill see it as another amnesty measure, while others look at the long-term demographic impact of legalizing a large number of Latinos, which they say would bolster the Democratic voting base. One cable news network called the bill a nightmare for Republicans while it flashed a string of clips of young Latino men climbing a fence in the dark of night.

Nearly four of every five Americans agree that immigration reform can both secure the borders and protect the rights of immigrants, according to a Knights of Columbus/Marist College poll in July 2010.

The Catholic Church in the United States is largely Hispanic, about 39 percent, and at least 44 percent of Catholics under 10 years old are Hispanic. Also, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 71 percent of growth of the U.S. Catholic population since 1960 has been because of the increase in the overall Hispanic population.

The migration office of the United States Catholic Bishops fully supports the bill, and sees it as a way to ensure the future of “talented, intelligent, and dedicated young persons” who were brought to the United States.

Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, chairman of the USCCB migration committee, wrote a letter to Congress expressing the bishops’ support of the bill. “It is important to note that these young persons entered the United States with their parents at a young age, and therefore did not enter without inspection on their own volition,” he wrote.

“We would all do the same thing in a similar situation. The United States is the only country that they know.  They have incredible talent and energy and are awaiting a chance to fully contribute their talents to our nation. We would be foolhardy to deny them that chance.”

Bishop Robert W. Finn of Kansas City-St. Joseph similarly wrote a letter to Senator Claire McCaskill in support of the bill. In his letter to Senator McCaskill, who should vote on the DREAM act in the coming month, Bishop Finn wrote: “Simply put, it is the right thing to do.” He noted that he and fellow bishops weren’t able to support past attempts to pass the DREAM act because they were packaged with less favorable bills that, for example, supported abortion in military hospitals, but since the act is being introduced alone, he and the other bishops are able to throw their support behind the measure.

- Brian Dowling

US Archbishop Lauds Progress on DREAM Act

This article comes from the Catholic News Agency.

---------------------------------------------------

Archbishop Gomez praises DREAM Act progress in the House

Los Angeles, Calif., Dec 12, 2010 / 06:19 pm (CNA).- Archbishop Jose H. Gomez has praised the passage of the DREAM Act in the House of Representatives, and called on the U.S. Senate to also pass the immigration reform measure.

Archbishop Gomez, the chair of the Committee on Migration for the U.S. bishops’ conference and co-adjutor archbishop of Los Angeles, commended the House for its “courageous and historic vote.” He said the legislation would give undocumented young people “a chance to reach their full, God-given potential.”

The bill would allow young people brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents before the age of 16 to apply for legal permanent residence and eventual citizenship as long as they completed two years of higher education or military service.

"We cannot let this moment pass. Our Senators must also pass this important legislation, so that it can be signed into law by the President as soon as possible," the archbishop continued.

According to Archbishop Gomez, the legislation would provide a “fair opportunity” to thousands of deserving young persons who want to become Americans.

"This would not only benefit them, but our country as well. It is the right thing to do, for them and for our nation," he said.

On Dec. 9 the Senate voted not to consider its version of the DREAM Act. This leaves open the possibility of a vote on the House version next week while avoiding any need to reconcile the Senate and House versions of the bill.

If the Senate approves the House version, the bill would go to President Obama for his signature.

US Bishops Pressure Congress on DREAM Act

This press release comes from the USCCB website.

-------------------------------------------------------

U.S. Catholic Bishops to Congress:  The Dream Act is the ‘Right Thing to Do’

WASHINGTON (December 3, 2010)—In a letter to Congress December 2, Coadjutor Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles, chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Migration, called on Congress to pass the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM), calling it “the right thing to do.”

“With the passage of the DREAM Act, we can welcome a new generation of Americans who will one day become leaders of our nation,” wrote Archbishop Gomez.

The DREAM Act would provide a path to citizenship for thousands of young persons without legal status who were brought to the United States as children by their parents. Under the legislation, young people who complete two years of higher education or two years of military service would be eligible for legal permanent residence and eventual citizenship.

“It is important to note that these young persons entered the United States with their parents at a young age, and therefore did not enter without inspection on their own volition. We would all do the same thing in a similar situation,” Archbishop Gomez said. “They have incredible talent and energy and are awaiting a chance to fully contribute their talents to our nation. We would be foolhardy to deny them that chance.”

The USCCB has long supported the DREAM Act, as well as comprehensive reform of the nation’s immigration system.

“There are times when a proposal should be enacted because, simply put, it is the right thing to do.  This is one of them,” the Archbishop said.  “The DREAM Act represents a practical, fair, and compassionate solution for thousands of young persons who simply want to reach their God-given potential and contribute to the well-being of our nation.”

Full text of the letter follows.

---------------------------------------

December 2, 2010

U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Representative:

On behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), I write to express our support for the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM Act).  This legislation would make a difference in the lives of undocumented youth who were brought to the United States by their parents and now, because of their lack of legal status, face obstacles to their future.  By removing such barriers, the DREAM Act permits immigrant students to pursue a promising future through college education or military service.

Those who would benefit from the DREAM Act are talented, intelligent, and dedicated young persons who know only the United States as their home.   They can become some of the future leaders of our country, provided we are wise enough to provide them the opportunity to pursue their dreams. 

Under the DREAM Act, deserving immigrant youth can adjust to permanent resident status provided that they entered the United States before age sixteen, have been physically present in the United States for not less than five years, demonstrated good moral character, have no criminal record and do not threaten national security, and have earned their high school diploma.  This bill also offers students a fair opportunity to earn U.S. citizenship if they commit to and complete at least two years of college or two years of honorable service in the military. 

Importantly, this legislation will apply to students in both public and private education, including those attending Catholic schools.

It is important to note that these young persons entered the United States with their parents at a young age, and therefore did not enter without inspection on their own volition. We would all do the same thing in a similar situation. The United States is the only country that they know.  They have incredible talent and energy and are awaiting a chance to fully contribute their talents to our nation. We would be foolhardy to deny them that chance.

With the passage of the DREAM Act, we can welcome a new generation of Americans who one day will become the leaders of our nation. There are times when a proposal should be enacted because, simply put, it is the right thing to do. This is one of them.

The DREAM Act represents a practical, fair, and compassionate solution for thousands of young persons in our nation who simply want to reach their God-given potential and contribute to the well-being of our nation. I urge you to support this measure and call for its immediate enactment.

Sincerely,

                                                           
Most Reverend Jose H. Gomez
Coadjutor Archbishop of Los Angeles
Chairman, USCCB Committee on Migration

Pope Preaches Universality of Migration

This article comes from the Catholic News Agency.

---------------------------------------------------

Pope stresses unity of global human family as theme of upcoming Migrant's Day

Vatican City, Oct 26, 2010 / 08:06 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Benedict XVI announced the theme of “One Human Family” as the message of the 97th World Day of Migrants and Refugees to be held in January. Echoed by other Vatican officials, the Pontiff stressed the importance of recognizing the “profound link between all human beings” and the need for the rights of all individuals to be protected.

"The World Day of Migrants and Refugees offers the whole Church an opportunity to reflect on a theme linked to the growing phenomenon of migration, to pray that hearts may open to Christian welcome and to the effort to increase in the world justice and charity, pillars on which to build an authentic and lasting peace,” wrote the Pontiff in his opening remarks on Oct. 26.

“All,” he continued, “belong to one family, migrants and the local populations that welcome them, and all have the same right to enjoy the goods of the earth whose destination is universal, as the social doctrine of the Church teaches. It is here that solidarity and sharing are founded.”

However, the Pope added, “States have the right to regulate migration flows and to defend their own frontiers, always guaranteeing the respect due to the dignity of each and every human person. Immigrants, moreover, have the duty to integrate into the host country, respecting its laws and its national identity.”

Addressing the situation of refugees and forced migrants, Pope Benedict said that “those who are forced to leave their homes or their country” should be “helped to find a place where they may live in peace and safety, where they may work and take on the rights and duties that exist in the country that welcomes them, contributing to the common good and without forgetting the religious dimension of life.”

At a press conference this morning announcing the Jan. 16 event, Archbishop Antonio Maria Veglio – president of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People – and secretary Fr. Gabriele Bentoglio stated that there are currently 15 million refugees in the world. 

Fr. Bentoglio added that "the number of internally displaced persons, above all as relates to cases of violation of human rights, stands at around twenty-seven million.”

"The challenge," he said, "consists in creating areas of tolerance, hope, healing and protection, and in ensuring that these dramas and tragedies – too often experienced in the past and in the present – never happen again.”

On the inherent struggles within society in welcoming and assimilating individuals from other cultures, Archbishop Veglio noted that “the Holy Father's Message also reinforces the international community's perception of the importance of dialogue and promotes the recognition of human rights for everyone, combating new forms of racism and discrimination.”

Ultimately the objective, Fr. Bentoglio added, is "to guarantee refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced persons are given the concrete possibility to develop their human potential.”

Pope Benedict also emphasized in his message on human unity that that “the presence of the Church, as the People of God journeying through history among all the other peoples, is a source of trust and hope.”

“It is the Holy Eucharist in particular that constitutes, in the heart of the Church, an inexhaustible source of communion for the whole of humanity,” he underscored. “It is thanks to this that the People of God includes 'every nation, race, people, and tongue,' not with a sort of sacred power but with the superior service of charity.”

Vatican Synod Moves Toward Statement on Middle East

This article comes from Catholic Culture.

-----------------------------------------------------

Synod moves toward approval of message on Middle East 

October 18, 2010

The Synod of Bishops for the Middle East has concluded its general discussions, and moved on to begin work on a final message. 

On Saturday, October 16, the Synod participants heard the first draft of a final message, and began voting for members of the special council that will be selected to follow up on the Synod.

On October 18, the Coptic Catholic Patriarch Antonios Naguib of Alexandria, Egypt, presented the relatio post disceptationem: the summary of the discussions to date. His presentation took up the whole of the Monday-morning session.

The fundamental need of the Church in the Middle East, Patriarch Antonios said, is “to reawaken our missionary zeal.” The work of the Synod should promote that end, he stressed.

"Religion must not be politicized, nor the state take precedence over religion,” the Coptic prelate said. But his report acknowledged the grave political problems that confront the Church in the region. His report called for “a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” while expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people, “whose current situation encourages fundamentalism.” He also pleaded for international recognition of “the tragic situation of Christians in Iraq who are the main victims of the war and its effects,” and called for protection of religious freedom from all, particularly Christian minorities in Islamic lands.

“One of the major challenges threatening the presence of Christians in some countries in the Middle East is emigration,” the report noted. While Christians should retain the right to emigrate, the Church needs to encourage young people particularly to remain in their native lands, and toward that end must help them find security and the promise of a future for their families.”

Patriarch Antonios spoke at some length about the status of the Eastern Catholic churches—which accounted for a majority of the participants in the Synod. The Synod, he said, should encourage closer ties among the different Catholic bodies in the Middle East, and between the Eastern churches and the Latin Church.

“Mission and and ecumenism are closely linked,” the Patriarch noted. “The Catholic and Orthodox churches have much in common.” The Eastern churches could play a special role in strengthening ties with the Orthodox world and bringing Christian unity closer to reality.

The Eastern churches are also important, the report observed, because residents of the Middle East often identify Christianity with Europe, in ways that create political obstacles to the acceptance of the faith. In actuality, Patriarch Antonios said, “the governments of the West are secular and increasingly opposed to the Christian faith. It is important to explain this reality as well as the positive significance of the secular state, which distinguishes politics from religion.”

Pope Will Meet Sarkozy in October

This article comes from the Catholic Herald.

---------------------------------------------------

Pope to meet Sarkozy in Italy

By Nibin Thomas

French President Nicolas Sarkozy will meet Pope Benedict during his trip to Italy in October, the Vatican has confirmed. Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi has said the meeting is scheduled for October 8.

One of the issues expected to feature during the meeting is France’s crackdown on and deportation of thousands of the country’s Roma and Gypsy populations.

In July this year Mr Sarkozy announced that he had asked his interior minister to “put an end to the wild squatting and
 camping of the Roma”, linking the community to crime, prostitution and child exploitation.

The French president’s comments led to the Holy Father himself addressing French pilgrims 

about the need to “accommodate legitimate human diversities, just as Jesus came to assemble men from all nations and speaking every language”.

This was seen as a rebuke of the French administration’s policies, which was also being criticised by the European Union and human rights groups.

Soon after, Alain Minc, an adviser to President Sarkozy, attacked the Pontiff, saying: “Anyone can say anything about the Roma situation, but not a German pope. John Paul II perhaps, but not him.” The French daily La Croix reported that the Vatican was unhappy about the comments.

The meeting with the Pope is being interpreted as an attempt by Mr Sarkozy to improve his approval rating among French Catholics, which has fallen drastically over the last year.

French Cardinal Comes Out on Gypsy Crackdown

This article comes from the Associated Press.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Paris archbishop concerned about Gypsy crackdown

By Angelo Doland

PARIS — The archbishop of Paris added to mounting criticism of France's crackdown on Gypsies, referring to the operation as a "circus" and saying Thursday he would tell the government that there are lines that cannot be crossed.

Meanwhile, France expelled more Gypsies, or Roma, on Thursday, putting them on two flights to Romania. A poll showed the French are divided about the expulsion tactic, though slightly more favor it than oppose it.

President Nicolas Sarkozy's conservative government has linked the Roma minority to crime and is dismantling their illegal squatters' camps and putting many of them on flights back to their homes in Eastern Europe.

The policy has attracted widespread criticism from those who say it amounts to racism toward one of the European Union's most impoverished minorities, and that Sarkozy is playing to the far right before the 2012 presidential election.

Paris Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois told Europe-1 radio that he planned to meet with the interior minister to tell him what Roman Catholics think, "and to remind him that there are certain lines that must not be crossed." On Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI urged people to accept "legitimate human diversity" in remarks widely interpreted as a message about the Roma.

The cardinal — asked about one of his recent sermons that alluded to a circus — responded "I spoke of a circus, which was the manner in which this affair was handed during the summer."

Also Thursday, the European Union Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding spoke out on the issue, saying "some of the rhetoric that has been used ... has been openly discriminatory and partly inflammatory." She said EU governments must ensure both public order and "the social integration of all Europeans" living within their borders and added that she intends to brief the European Commission on the matter.

French Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux on Wednesday dismissed the barrage of criticism against the crackdown as "political blather."

At Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport, dozens of Roma, including children and babies, were escorted by police onto a flight to Romania. The country's Mediafax news agency said a total of 284 Roma arrived from France on Thursday. Those who leave voluntarily are given euro300 per adult and euro100 per child to help resettle.

Human rights groups say the policy is absurd because many Roma simply return to France. Romania and Bulgaria are members of the European Union, and their citizens can enter France without a visa, but they must get work permits to work in France or residency permits to settle long-term.

One 36-year-old Roma woman who was recently turned out of an illegal camp in the Paris suburbs said she had already been expelled to Romania once before but immediately returned to France.

"I could not stay more than four days because I had no house," the woman, Rodica, told Associated Press Television News, declining to give her last name amid the crackdown. "I could not stay there. So I had to ask my family, which stayed in France, to send me some money and then I bought a bus ticket to come back."

A poll Tuesday and Wednesday of 1,000 people by the CSA agency for Le Parisien newspaper showed that 48 percent of those surveyed favored the expulsions, while 42 percent are opposed. No margin of error was given.

Also Thursday, French Minister for European Affairs Pierre Lellouche was meeting with two top Romanian officials in charge of security and Gypsy issues.

A day earlier, Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux dismissed criticism as "political blather" and insisted racial prejudice was not behind the crackdown. He said 117 camps have been dismantled so far and hundreds sent home.

Associated Press Television News producer Catherine Gaschka in Paris contributed to this report.

Mexican Bishops: Arizona Law "Selfish and Irresponsible"

This article comes from the Fides News Service.

Selfish?  I suppose it's too much to ask that a nation safeguard its own well-being.
-----------------------------------------------------------

Arizona immigration law SB 1070: "selfish and irresponsible" say the Bishops of Mexico

Texcoco (Agenzia Fides) – A statement presented by Bishop Víctor René Rodríguez Gómez, Bishop of Texcoco and secretary general of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Mexico, a copy of the statement was sent to Fides, expresses deep disappointment with regard to the SB 1070 immigration law adopted by the state of Arizona in the south of the United States.
 

The statement expresses solidarity with Mexican citizens who have resided for years in Arizona, gratitude for the noble generosity of the people of the United States who have welcomed immigrants from Mexico and from all over the world for years, and precisely because of this, the Mexican Bishops write “we are disappointed to see, and we firmly condemn, the selfish and irresponsible attitude of certain powerful groups which aim to separate countless families, leaving them to drown in deepest misery and poverty after having made enormous sacrifices and risked their lives in the search for a better life and a future of wellbeing and justice for their children”.
 

The statement continues: “We join our voices with those of all men and women of goodwill calling on Mexican authorities, and Mexican families and parishes to warmly welcome with specific pastoral care, our brothers and sisters forced to retrace their steps.”
 

"We intend to continue our activity to render our people of Mexico, "A Home and a School of Communion", enabling them to be present in faith and prayer. We give them our blessing as Bishops and we commend them to the Heart of God, to His Son Jesus Christ and to Santa Maria de Guadalupe.” Besides the Bishops of Mexico, Catholic Bishops in many other countries of America have harshly criticised the new law in Arizona, including the Bishops of El Salvador (see Fides 26/07/2010), Guatemala (see Fides 18/05/2010), Peru (see Fides 7/05/2010) and also the Bishops of the United States (see Fides 27/04/2010) (CE) (Agenzia Fides, 30/07/2010)

Catholic Bishops and the Arizona Immigration Law

This article comes from the National Catholic Register.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Not Preaching to the Choir?

Bishops Struggle to Air Their Views on Immigration

By Joan Frawley Desmond

WASHINGTON — Arizona’s controversial immigration law takes effect July 29 — unless the Obama administration succeeds in blocking it. 

The law is expected to complicate efforts on Capitol Hill to pass comprehensive immigration reform this year — a longtime legislative goal of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

But even if the president’s legal challenge is successful, the nation’s Catholic bishops hope Arizona’s plight will be a wake-up call for legislators in Washington, D.C.

“The Arizona law is the result of growing levels of frustration and fear that have developed within the state,” acknowledged Bishop Gerald Kicanas of Tucson, who also serves as the U.S. bishops’ conference’s vice president. “But the bishops of Arizona do not believe this bill is the answer. The real answer is comprehensive immigration policy at the federal level.”

Last week in a Phoenix federal district courthouse, Judge Susan Bolton reviewed sharply opposing arguments by the Justice Department and the state of Arizona. But she has yet to issue a ruling, which could come at any time.

Attorney General Eric Holder hopes to secure a preliminary injunction against Arizona’s S.B. 1070, which he criticizes as both an untenable challenge to the federal government’s traditional role in setting immigration policy and a problem for U.S. foreign policy. If Holder obtains the preliminary injunction, legal experts predict the judge will ultimately strike down the state law.

Arizona’s Republican governor, Jan Brewer, however, contends that the state has been forced to act because federal immigration laws have not been effectively enforced. If the measure stands, it will be a violation of state law to be in the country illegally; police engaged in routine law enforcement will be permitted to investigate the immigration status of anyone they suspect to be in the country illegally.

Whatever the law’s fate, polls confirm its broad popularity, not only in Arizona, but across the country. Support for the law reflects mounting public frustration with the real and perceived issues linked to illegal immigration during a time of economic crisis.

During testimony this month before the House Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security and International Law, Bishop Kicanas argued that voters want real solutions to a “broken” system and that the Arizona law should revitalize the push for immigration reform in the nation’s capital.

“The message is to break the partisan paralysis and act now,” Bishop Kicanas stated in his testimony. “Without congressional action on immigration reform — sooner rather than later — other states will pass similar laws, to the detriment of our nation.”

He added that he witnesses “the human consequences of our broken immigration system in my diocese’s social service programs, hospitals, schools and parishes.”

Political Will?

President Obama signaled his interest in addressing immigration reform in a July 1 speech, but even immigrant-rights groups agree that Capitol Hill isn’t prepared to work out a compromise during an already contentious election year.

“The situation in Arizona has brought national attention to the crisis in the immigration system. But it will be difficult for Congress to act before the election,” said Clarissa Martinez, director of immigration and national campaigns for the National Council of La Raza, an advocacy group for Hispanics in America.

“The administration seems not to be anxious to advance legislation unless there were some assurance that 60 senators would support it,” noted Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami, a longtime Catholic leader on immigrant issues. “Unless there would be some action during a ‘lame duck’ session of Congress after the November elections, it seems that we are far away indeed.”

Republican senators say border security must be stepped up before they address divisive issues like legalization for illegal immigrants. But the USCCB’s director of migration policy and public affairs, Kevin Appleby, questions the logic of narrowly focusing on enforcement issues.

“Since 2000, the U.S. government has spent more than $100 billion on immigration enforcement,” Appleby wrote in the July 4 edition of the Register. “During the same period, the number of undocumented persons has grown from 6 million to 12 million, and border communities continue to see drug-related violence. Since 1998, nearly 5,000 migrants have died attempting to cross the American desert.”

“Comprehensive immigration reform, as supported by the U.S. bishops, would help achieve the seemingly incompatible principles of a secure border and a generous immigration policy,” Appleby continued.

The USCCB seeks passage of a number of measures, including an expansion of a path to citizenship for the 12 million undocumented persons in the country and the creation of a new worker program, which would permit unskilled migrant laborers to obtain visas to come to the United States legally and work under certain conditions.

A recent USCCB-sponsored poll concluded that “69% of Catholics supported a path to citizenship for the undocumented, provided they register with the government.”

Prudential Judgments

But the bishops’ support for immigration reform has also sparked considerable debate and a measure of antagonism. Bishops who have used their own Internet blogs to criticize the Arizona law have received a flood of overwhelmingly negative comments.

“Some Catholics, on hearing Catholic bishops speak on social doctrine and social issues, can’t help thinking that the bishops embrace pious visions but avoid real messiness and costs and low probabilities of success,” said Michael Novak, the prominent Catholic thinker and an occasional critic of USCCB policy positions.

“Regarding immigration, there are probably hundreds of legitimate prudential judgments among Catholics about which are the most moral and realistic policies to support,” Novak observed. “Some of these judgments seem a lot less naive than others.”

Asked for his response, Archbishop Wenski acknowledged some “legitimate concerns regarding the rule of law — and so sometimes an immigrant’s ‘illegal status’ does not win him sympathy.”

But the archbishop also suggested that believing Catholics should take the Church’s social teaching to heart. Catholics in America “should not be divided on this issue. And the bishops, in our pastoral letter, ‘Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope: A Pastoral Letter Concerning Migration from the Catholic Bishops of Mexico and the United States,’ give clear teaching that good Catholics should be open to receiving.”

The archbishop vowed that Florida’s Catholic bishops would be “vigorously opposed to any attempt to pass a Florida-specific law, as was done in Arizona. Such an attempt would prove, I fear, divisive and counterproductive.”

In Arizona — the “epicenter” of an increasingly volatile immigration debate — Bishop Kicanas has echoed the Church’s consistent concern for the social needs and human rights of migrants.

But the bishop also has looked for opportunities to clarify the USCCB position, disputing common mischaracterizations of the bishops’ stance, and he has initiated public forums where all points of view are aired.

“Some people believe the Church is supporting open borders, but the Church does not support open borders, and it doesn’t support amnesty,” said Bishop Kicanas. “What the bishops are asking and pressing for is an earned pathway to citizenship. Illegal immigrants could come out of the shadows and wait their turn.”

“But we have legitimate policy concerns, like family reunification,” he added. “The Arizona law could force mothers or fathers or young people, who never lived outside this country but do not have proper papers, to leave the United States.”

Earlier this year, Bishop Kicanas presided at the funeral of Rob Krentz, the Arizona rancher whose still unsolved murder fueled support for the Arizona law.

Initial reports suggested that Krentz had been killed by an illegal immigrant, but state law enforcement officials have yet to confirm the identity of the rancher’s assailant.

“Krentz’s murder cries out for justice,” said the bishop, noting that the Church’s stake in the immigration policy debate was not limited to the plight of migrants, but also the plundering of Arizona ranches and the safety of border patrol officials.

“The Church has been criticized for getting involved in politics,” he said. “But it’s actually concerned with public policy — how we live together in a community.”

Joan Frawley Desmond writes from Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Tucson Bishop Urges Congress to Act on Immigration

This article comes from the USCCB website.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Tucson Bishop Kicanas Testifies Before Congress, Urges Federal Action on Immigration Reform

Immigration, ultimately a humanitarian issue with moral consequences
SB 1070 reflects Arizonans and Americans’ frustration with Congress inaction

 

WASHINGTON—Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas of Tucson, Arizona, Vice-president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, testified before Congress on the ethical imperative for reform of the U.S. immigration system. He spoke July 14, before the House Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law.
           
Bishop Kicanas, whose diocese runs along the whole of the Arizona-Mexico border, said he witnesses every day “the human consequences of our broken immigration system,”  adding that “[t]his is a situation which from a humanitarian and ethical stand point, needs to be addressed in a humane and comprehensive manner.”
           
 Though often dismissed by analyses that highlight the economic, social or legal aspects, “immigration is ultimately a humanitarian issue, since it impacts the basic rights and dignity of millions of persons and their families. “As such it has moral implications,” he said. “We cannot accept the toil and taxes of immigrants without providing them the protection of law.”
           
Bishop Kicanas recognized the rule of law as a flashpoint in the debate. 
           
“The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops wholeheartedly agrees that the rule of law is paramount, and that those who break the law should be held accountable,” he said.  “As our testimony points out, comprehensive immigration reform would honor the rule of law and help restore it by requiring 11 million undocumented to pay a fine, pay back taxes, learn English, and get in the back of the line. We believe this a proportionate penalty for the offense.”
           
He also said the bishops believe immigration reform will make the nation more secure, “freeing up time and resources to concentrate on those coming who intend to do us harm.” He praised both the enforcement and life-saving efforts of border patrol agents, but pointed out that decades of enforcement-only policies have not solved the border or the larger immigration problem.
           
Bishop Kicanas also addressed the issue of the passage of controversial Arizona SB 1070.
           
“It is my belief that the passage of this law reflects the frustration of Arizonans and the American public with Congress for not addressing the issue of immigration reform. The message is to break the partisan paralysis and act now,” he said.
           
The bishop’s oral testimony was accompanied by a more in-depth written testimony in which Bishop Kicanas summarized the U.S. bishops longstanding recommendations on immigration reform:        

• Enact comprehensive immigration reform legislation that provides a legalization program (path to permanent residency) for undocumented workers in our nation; reforms the employment-based immigration system so that low-skilled workers can enter and work in a safe, legal, orderly, and humane manner; and reduces waiting times in the family preference system for families to be reunited.

• Examine the “push” factors of migration such as international economic policies and enact policies which encourage sustainable economic development, especially in sending communities;

• Enact in reform legislation the Agricultural Job Opportunity, Benefits, and Security Act of 2009 and the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM);

• Adopt immigration enforcement policies that ensures our nation’s borders are secure at the same time that the abuse and deaths of migrants are prevented and their basic human rights and dignity are protected;

• Include the necessary elements in any legislation to efficiently implement any new immigration program, including taking actions to prepare the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service to implement any new program and to properly fund such implementation.

The testimony also listed the many perceived benefits of an earned legalization program and reform aspects that the Church finds problematic.

Ambassador & Archbishop on US-Vatican Ties

This article comes from the Catholic News Service, by way of American Catholic.

-------------------------------------------------------

Ambassador, Archbishop Speak of Importance of US-Vatican Ties

By John Thavis

VATICAN CITY (CNS)—They came as pilgrims, but the 250 Miami Catholics must have felt a little like VIPs the day after landing in Rome.

Miguel H. Diaz, U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, hosted the group, led by Miami Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski, at a garden party at his residence June 27. Diaz warmed them up with a pep talk about the importance of U.S.-Vatican relations.

The ambassador planned to greet similar groups from Cincinnati and Milwaukee June 28, but as Archbishop Wenski said, "he wanted to show a little favoritism to us from Florida." In fact, Cuban-born Diaz spent many years in southern Florida, as a student and later as a professor at a Catholic seminary and a Catholic university. He still has family in the Miami area.

Archbishop Wenski's line about favoritism drew laughter and applause from the Florida pilgrims, who came to Rome for Pope Benedict XVI's June 29 Mass to bestow palliums, a woolen band symbolizing pastoral ministry, upon 38 archbishops.

At the reception, the ambassador and the archbishop both spoke about the significance of strong U.S.-Vatican ties, but with somewhat different points of emphasis.

Recalling President Barack Obama's meeting last year with Pope Benedict, Diaz said that "while such a brief formal occasion doesn't allow for a deep relationship to develop, it is clear that the pope and the president share key values and philosophies as well as their Christian faith."

"Together they seek to make this a better world—to foster peace, to promote justice and freedom, to feed the hungry, to heal the sick and to bring a message of life and hope to those desperate to hear it, as well as those who refuse to hear it," the ambassador said.

Diaz said the United States appreciates the immense value of faith-based organizations and their ability to "translate compassionate intent into practice," both domestically and in the international arena.

Archbishop Wenski said the Miami Archdiocese has a special vocation to welcome immigrants, especially from the Caribbean and Latin America. In that sense, he said, Miami has become "America's modern Ellis Island."

"The church in Miami and South Florida was always there for the newcomers. It was there for the Cubans right after the revolution in 1959 in Cuba. And it has been there now for the Haitians who have fled the earthquake and have come to South Florida for medical treatment. So Miami represents hope for so many people," he said.

The archbishop recalled Pope Benedict's praise of the healthy church-state relationship during his visit to the United States in 2008. But the pope also challenged the United States, he said, warning about a modern secularist trend toward "living as if God did not matter."

"As Catholics and Christians, our witness is to show to the world by the way we live how joyful life can be when we live convinced that God indeed does matter," he said.