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Border bishops call for dignity regardless of "migration (aka illegal aliens) condition"
National Catholic Reporter ^ | February 16, 2017 | Rhina Guidos

Posted on 02/16/2017 7:46:32 PM PST by ebb tide

In a joint statement, Catholic bishops whose dioceses are along the U.S.-Mexico border spoke of the "pain, the fear, and the anguish" they're seeing in immigrants and vowed to follow the example of the pope in building "bridges, rather than the walls of exclusion and exploitation."

The Feb. 14 statement was read at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle in Texas after a visit by the bishops to an immigration detention center as well as to a humanitarian respite center at Sacred Heart Parish in McAllen, Texas, in the Brownsville Diocese.

The statement came after two days of a gathering of bishops whose dioceses are along the U.S.-Mexico border. The apostolic nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Christophe Pierre, also attended. The meeting of about 20 bishops included Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville and Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller of San Antonio.

The biannual meetings began in 1986 "to address the life and pastoral needs of our migrant brothers and sisters," the statement said, adding that "in this difficult moment in our history, we hear the cry of our migrant brothers and sisters whose voices reflect the voice of Christ himself."

They spoke of the plight of the Holy Family as they sought refuge and a compassionate human response, and said they saw the same in immigrants they met. The suffering immigrants face is the result of "a broken immigration system caused by political structures and economic conditions that result in threats, deportations, impunity and extreme violence," they said. Migrants are the result of these conditions and also are victims of those who seek to extort them in their work and under the threat of deportations that can lead to their separation from family and friends.

"We can sense the pain of the separation of families, loss of employment, persecutions, discrimination, racism and unnecessary deportations that paralyze the development of persons in our societies," they said. "Immigration is a global phenomenon that arises from economic and social conditions, and the poverty and insecurity that directly displaces entire populations, causing families to feel that migration is the only way to survive."

Migrants have the right to be respected "regardless of their migration condition," the bishops added, because every person has the right to dignity, yet migrants are "subjected to punitive laws and often mistreated by civil authorities both in their country of origin, the countries through which they travel and the country of their destination. It is essential that governments adopt policies that respect the human rights of migrants and undocumented residents."

In the church, they said, "there are no strangers," and vowed to continue to support services to migrant families "including spiritual, legal, and material assistance."


TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS: aliens; francischurch; illegals

1 posted on 02/16/2017 7:46:32 PM PST by ebb tide
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To: ebb tide

Tax the idiots. They’ll shut up.


2 posted on 02/16/2017 7:47:17 PM PST by FlingWingFlyer (As long as tyranny exists, the Constitution and Bill of Right will never be "outdated" or "obsolete")
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The following is a joint statement from Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, Vice President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on National Migration Week, taking place January 8-14, 2017.

Celebrating National Migration Week

3 posted on 02/16/2017 7:58:03 PM PST by ebb tide (We have a rogue curia in Rome)
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To: ebb tide

Simply put the United States would not be the United States, its culture and nation not unique or what it is, if those who advocate one world/ no borders with unrestricted migrations had their way. The “transformations” would be permanent , irreversible and not necessarily good or ultimately beneficial for mankind.


4 posted on 02/16/2017 7:59:43 PM PST by allendale
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To: ebb tide

About time they lived with pain, fear, and anguish. Too many Americans have been living that way for far too long now. That includes legal immigrant Americans as well, who came here the right way and did not become major moochers.


5 posted on 02/16/2017 8:01:18 PM PST by Robert DeLong
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To: ebb tide

What action must I take for your “dignity”?


6 posted on 02/16/2017 8:04:38 PM PST by Rapscallion ( There was once great shame to be caught in a public lie.)
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To: ebb tide

The Hispanic Bishops have had Centuries to fix Mexico.


7 posted on 02/16/2017 8:10:12 PM PST by Paladin2 (No spellcheck. It's too much work to undo the auto wrong word substitution on mobile devices.)
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To: Rapscallion
What action must I take for your “dignity”?

Well, you could not pay U.S. income taxes, mooch off Obamacare and drive around drunk, without a license or insurance, killing Americans or raping their daughters.

8 posted on 02/16/2017 8:10:49 PM PST by ebb tide (We have a rogue curia in Rome)
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To: ebb tide
Well, you could not pay U.S. income taxes, mooch off Obamacare and drive around drunk, without a license or insurance, killing Americans or raping their daughters.

Either you misunderstand me or I am misunderstanding you. First I was born in the US of American parents so I am a natural born citizen. I pay a large income tax to federal and state. (No shelters or deferrals).I have paid my own way since I graduated college at 22, never taking as much as a dime of welfare or unemployment.I have been a licensed driver since I was 17 years old and never suspended. I never drive after drinking any alcohol.

I was asking what the bishops want of me now to give the invaders dignity. Did you misunderstand? Or did I?

9 posted on 02/16/2017 8:32:51 PM PST by Rapscallion (illed and America)
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To: Rapscallion

I think you misunderstood me. I was speaking of illegals who skirt laws; I was not referring to you.


10 posted on 02/16/2017 8:43:57 PM PST by ebb tide (We have a rogue curia in Rome)
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To: ebb tide

> “In a joint statement, Catholic bishops whose dioceses are along the U.S.-Mexico border spoke of the “pain, the fear, and the anguish” they’re seeing in immigrants and vowed to follow the example of the pope in building “bridges, rather than the walls of exclusion and exploitation.””

I’ve heard the Vatican has quite a substantial wall around it.

Americans are the most charitable people on Earth. They are the most charitable and the most sympathetic.

But today, the plight of the world’s poor is not lessened by their illegal entry into America. They can stay where they are and receive charity and good will from Americans by hundreds of relief groups.

It is not for any person of religious rank to denigrate or berate the decisions of the Americans with respect to the borders of their country. Countries and peoples have had title to land and have made borders since Genesis in scripture. It is not for some Bishop or his superiors to rebuke Americans for defending and controlling their borders.

I would tell the Bishop to get on with the caring of the poor he is committed to. We have our poor here to take care of but I will donate to the Bishop’s charity for the poor he is attending to on condition that he set aside the politics of borders. He has no business engaging in hypocritical arguments that he cannot win.


11 posted on 02/16/2017 9:44:52 PM PST by Hostage (Article V)
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To: ebb tide
and vowed to follow the example of the pope in building "bridges, rather than the walls of exclusion and exploitation."



They were saying?
12 posted on 02/16/2017 9:46:24 PM PST by dfwgator
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To: ebb tide
Border bishops call for dignity regardless of "migration (aka illegal aliens) condition"

Absolutely they should treat illegal aliens with full respect to their dignity as human beings.

Make sure their handcuffs are not put on too tightly.

Don't rape the females when in custody (I guess these days that applies to males as well). Don't allow deportees to rape or be raped while in custody waiting to be deported.

Make sure that the MS-13 thugs aren't allowed to prey upon the slobs who just broke the law trying to find a job...while the lot of them in custody waiting to be deported.

Make sure they have clean water, food, shelter, and someplace to sleep while in custody waiting to be deported.

Make sure the deportation plane lands and comes to a complete stop before forcing deportees to exit the plane. Or, as an alternative, if the plane isn't allowed to land, make sure that the deportee has a fully functioning parachute and a clear LZ before shoving him/her out.

I don't think anybody should be in favor of ABUSING deportees. But deportees they must be.

Frankly, the bishops' cries would be a whole lot more believable if there wasn't so darned much money involved:

The following data was captured today from usaspending.gov

The amount that organizations with the word "Catholic" in their names get for aliens (from FY2008 to present):

The amount that organizations with the word "Catholic" in their names get for refugee support (from FY2008 to present):

You'll excuse my cynicism, but $731,322,948 is a pretty tempting object for corrupting one's opinion...even for a bishop...even for a prince of the Church.

13 posted on 02/17/2017 1:42:27 AM PST by markomalley (Nothing emboldens the wicked so greatly as the lack of courage on the part of the good -- Leo XIII)
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To: ebb tide

Dignified people wouldn’t be breaking the law.


14 posted on 02/17/2017 1:45:07 AM PST by Altura Ct.
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To: ebb tide

With all respect due the bishops, the Holy Family did return to Nazareth as soon as possible after Herod died.


15 posted on 02/17/2017 3:27:35 AM PST by I-ambush (If we make it, we'll all sit back and laugh, but I fear tomorrow I'll be crying)
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