Arizona bishops release dramatic letter on immigration

CNA ^ | 12.09.05

[Coleus]

Hmm, and I thought that as Christians , we were supposed to obey civil authority (give to Caesar what is Caesar's) and now they want us to break the law and commit a sin by encouraging and fostering illegal immigration. Shall we do the same for Al-qaeda?

[Coleus]

http://www.diocesephoenix.org/acc/

[brytlea]

Another reason I don't feel bad about leaving the Catholic church.
susie

[jackbenimble]

Another reason I don't feel bad about leaving the Catholic church.

I'm sure it is just a coincidence that this policy is totally self-serving for the Catholic Church. People like you are leaving the church and Hispanic illegal migrants, most of whom conveniently happen to be Catholics, are filling it back up.

I don't think the Catholic Church is quite so enamored with immigration in Europe where the migrants mainly happen to be Muslim.

[bert]

I was chastised earlier on FR for warning that the Catholic church was America's worst enemy. Catholics poo poohed it saying the Vatican was not involved in influencing American catholics.

The vatican is no different than Al Queda in it's desire to take over the world.

It must feel queasy about Europe and is doubling it's efforts to take over America.

The Vatican never agreed to Freedom of religion.

[Don Corleone]

And while Catholic teaching recognizes that nations have the right to control their own borders and to regulate immigration, “this right is not absolute,” said the bishops. Instead, they explained: “the needs of immigrants must be measured against the needs of the receiving countries, and that the rights of these nations must not be exaggerated to the point of denying access to needy people from other countries.”

pure Barbra Streisand. If they are fleeing political oppression OK. If economic malnutrition...no way!

[cripplecreek]

I guess filling the pews is the almighty most important issue.

[NHResident]

In 12 years of Catholic schooling we were NEVER once told that it was a requirement of our faith to embrace social and communist principles. Rerum Novarum MAY have been twisted by socialistic Catholics but NO Pope has stated as an article of faith that there is no right to private property. This letter is pure BS by deluded, socialist, economically ignorant clergy.

[NHResident]

In 12 years of Catholic schooling we were NEVER once told that it was a requirement of our faith to embrace social and communist principles. Rerum Novarum MAY have been twisted by socialistic Catholics but NO Pope has stated as an article of faith that there is no right to private property. This letter is pure BS by deluded, socialist, economically ignorant clergy.

[Mount Athos]

It is absolutely apropriate for a church to welcome all human beings into a church.

It is a tragedy that migrants are dying attempting to cross the desert. One good way to stop these deaths, is with a long fence... How about that for immigration reform. Stop illegal immigration cold, then raise and lower legal immigration levels as the economy needs. Mexico should become less corrupt and more condusive for investment, but that is mostly their problem to resolve.

[jackbenimble]

I guess filling the pews collection plate is the almighty most important issue.

I fixed it for you.

[kerryusama04]

I wonder if the RC is bothered a bit by the illegals depositing their illegally obtained work into the collection plate?

[moehoward]

The Catholic church has been running an Underground Railroad for Illegals for decades.

I live in a a town of about 7000 people. The Hispanic population in the area about 3%. Our Catholic Church added a Spanish service, then for some reason ended it. But now all services are Spanish and English, roughly 50/50, complete with Mariachi style hymns. The change is far from popular. Attendance is down, many have complained, but the Church seems to not care at all.

[Teacher317]

Add this to the Kentucky bishops calling "adequate health care a basic human right"

[ridesthemiles]

Let's see if I understand the sense of all this proclamation:

As a Catholic Church leader, I am doing the following:
I am driving out the Americans who are citizens and belong here who have jobs legally and businesses and who for generations have contributed to the Catholic Church and it's charities.
Then I am going to embrace illegal intruders who are not allowed to work in the USA, who send 80% of their check back to Mexico and other S American countries, and who will NEVER make enough money to come close to filling the coffers that the American citizens who have been church members for years have shown able to do.
Now, as the Catholic Church, I will have much less money to run my church.
Therefore, I can only surmise that I have a whole bunch of new juvenile recruits for my pedophile priests, and less money for the lawyers to go after IF any of the illegal intruders have the audacity to sue me for the behavior of my pedophile priests.
Do I understand all of this theory?????
What a crock- one of the largest churches in the USA flaunting the law on illegal intruders. Good luck to them as more American citizens question whether this church is really speaking for them.

[moehoward]

This is the strange part. They do not contribute much at all. But they do take complete advantage of any service the Church provides. They use the Sunday school and Bible study as their personal day care, routinely showing up hours late to pick up their kids.

[ridesthemiles]

If economic malnutrition...no way!""
Economic malnutrition driven by having too many children you cannot afford--and the Catholic Church encourages large families.
Sounds like an oxymoron to me.

[bert]

The church will insist as the article said that you embrace the coming hoard.

[norton]

Wonder if anyone is going to make this a 'separation of Church and State' issue?

Nah, just good citizens voicing their individual opinions all at once.

[conservativehistorian]

I am a practicing Catholic who is one of many like-minded conservative Catholics who disagree with the AZ bishops on this. Bluntly, their flock is different than mine, and mine stops at the AZ/Sonora border.

However I am disgusted and appalled by the vicious anti-Catholicism by many of the posters on this thread, and wonder if I should continue to keep cybercompany with such people.