Posted on 03/01/2006 9:49:07 PM PST by NormsRevenge
Cardinal Roger M. Mahony called on Roman Catholics Wednesday to embrace immigrants regardless of their legal status, criticizing what he said was increasing hostility toward the nation's bulging undocumented population.
The cardinal also said he would tell priests to defy any law enacted that would try to force churches and other organizations to determine the legality of immigrants before giving them assistance.
Mahony, a longtime advocate of immigrant rights who oversees a racially diverse archdiocese of more than 4 million people, used Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the Lenten season to urge Catholics to "make room" for immigrants.
"Unless you are a Native American, everyone in here is the son or daughter of immigrants," said Mahony, speaking during Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
Mahony said he was concerned that "voices that are very much anti-immigrant, mostly in California and Los Angeles, are catching fire," but didn't name any particular group.
On Tuesday, Mahony criticized the Minuteman Project and other anti-illegal immigration groups, arguing their efforts were misguided and wouldn't solve national security issues.
"The war on terror isn't going to be won through immigration restrictions," he told the Los Angeles Times.
Minuteman co-founder Jim Gilchrist accused Mahony Wednesday of pandering to Hispanic immigrants, and said the cardinal's stances encouraged illegal immigration.
"Cardinal Mahony must be part of a lawless group," said Gilchrist. "The church has no business messing in the rule of law."
As the illegal population balloons, now an estimated 11 million people, most of whom are Hispanic, the debate on how to deal with the phenomenon is intensifying.
Anti-illegal immigration groups regularly stage protests at day labor sites where Hispanics wait for work, threatening to report employers who hire illegal immigrants. Immigration advocates have responded, staging counter protests and organizing campaigns against legislation to crackdown on illegal immigrants.
Mahony told those attending Mass Wednesday he was not in favor of "unfettered immigration," but that the current system was inhumane and inefficient.
Mahony said stringent laws and government bureaucracy meant immigrants were often separated up to 15 years from family members trying to immigrate.
"We need reform that looks to family unification," he said. "What we have now is broken and invites violation."
Reflecting positions of the U.S. Roman Catholic bishops, Mahony said reform had to include a guest-worker program and the legalization of undocumented immigrants.
Mahony said the church's stance was not political, but he made reference to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, which is slated to take up immigration reform this week.
During an interview with Spanish-language press afterwards, Mahony vowed to instruct priests to disobey any law requiring churches and other social organizations to ask immigrants for legal documentation before providing assistance.
Such a provision was in the immigration bill passed by the House of Representatives in December.
"I would say to all priests, deacons and members of the church that we are not going to observe this law," said Mahony, speaking in Spanish.
When asked if he would be willing to go to jail for the stance, Mahony said "yes" because "helping people in need were actions that are part of God's mercy."
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa backed Mahony's stance, saying the "church should not be in the business of enforcing our immigration laws" and calling "incredulous" the idea that church officials wouldn't help people in need based on their immigration status.
At your invitation I visited your website.
Putting this as humanely as possible Dear old Lone-doggie: There's no "there" there.
Then again, maybe all obsessive/compulsive types should be given websites. Has the same effect as "Corporate Advertising"...which is said to be like peeing on oneself in a Navy Blue Suit. You feel warm all over briefly and no one actually seems to notice.
With all your wacky energy why not go out and do good works?
Help the poor and down trodden...
Middle School Geography teachers and the like?
All of us are going to start a prayer vigil for you Lone.
He lost that. I would have done the same thing. Lots of innocent people who have no desire to have their names surface get caught up in these wholesale releases of records.
Better to be thought of as ignorant than to rush out to prove it, as you have done.
If that is the case, then open borders is a poor stategy for Rome to follow. About 40% of Mexican Hispanics when they move to the US become Protestants (mostly Evangelicals) within a generation. So by moving the Catholic "pawns" around on the chess board, Rome suffers a net loss of pawns. Back to the drawinig board.
What is ignorant is your defending a church leader who wants to destroy the nation in which he plays church. get real.
Ok, lets assume you are right and I am wrong. So why is it then that mahoney as a leader of the catholic church disrespects the laws in the nation where he plays church? Bet you wont post a clear honest answer.
I'm not a Catholic (in fact I'm am a near atheistic cultural WASP), but I think that religion takes very seriously the admonition of Christ about matters of charity, and helping those in need. Thus, a law requiring them to ask for paper before rendering aid, offends its sensibilities. Just a guess.
Your response is fair enough, thank you. As a counter I would say this, when such egregious abuse of charity is done on an hourly basis, does not the govt have the right to set some ground rules in the nation that it rules? If one is of a religious bent, Christian in particular, doesnt God say that he forms whatever countries he wants and does he not further say, give to Caesar what is Caesars? I think we can safely say, God meant you also have to obey the laws of a nation, is that fair? Now you have a very high churchman saying he will not obey the law. Btw, what laws will you not obey? How about I dont obey the laws I dont like, is that also ok with you? This alledged servant of God is in clear violation of Gods teachings. This is not even a case where interpretation can be mixed, it is the law, made by congress, it is legitimate anyway you look at it.
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