Posted on 04/01/2006 1:05:20 PM PST by petkus
LETTER To the Editor. A s a Catholic who struggles to reconcile the U.S./Mexican illegal immigration crisis with Christian principles, I was grateful to see and eager to read Bishops Gregory and Boland's pastoral letter on immigration reform. However, after studying the document I was disappointed and dismayed—not by what was said but by what was left unsaid.
Expecting a comprehensive exploration of the moral responsibilities of all parties involved, I found the overwhelming focus of the letter to be, in essence, the failure of U.S. taxpayers to be sufficiently generous to those who reside here illegally. While I appreciated our bishops' insistence on the protection of the human rights of all immigrants, legal status or no, it is only one part of the moral equation.
Entirely ignored was the question of the extent to which immigrants are morally obligated to observe a country's laws governing entrance and residence. And if one's moral obligation to abide by the law is mitigated by one's difficult financial circumstances, how are we to discern to which situations this moral leniency does and does not apply? If 1 am in dire financial straits through no fault of my own, may I, with moral impunity, choose to cheat on my taxes (say, by forging Social Security numbers to obtain tax credits for nonexistent offspring) rather than attempt the lengthy process of going through the proper IRS channels for possible relief? Consistent pastoral guidance for individuals in such situations is essential.
Moreover, unlawful activity begets more of the same. Because they have chosen to enter the U.S. by other than legitimate means, illegal immigrants must choose between having their illegal status discovered or the breaking of additional laws—e.g., driving without a license or driving with a forged license. Paradoxically, the thing that gives the U.S. its stability—its rule of law—is the very thing being undermined by those who seek the stability offered by this country. To what degree can the escalating unlawfulness be morally justified? At what point does Jesus' injunction to "render unto Caesar" become applicable?
Referenced only in passing within the pastoral letter is the moral obligation of Mexico (a developed country with natural resources) to rise to its potential and provide adequate opportunities for its own citizens. As jointly stated by U.S. and Mexican bishops, its failure to do so is the root problem of illegal immigration. What pressure are Mexican bishops exerting to make their government more accountable to its people? Do not measures (by both the U.S. and Mexico) that embolden and encourage illegal immigrants ultimately serve to enable Mexico to persist in its dysfunctional state? If so, are our good intentions perhaps misguided compassion? If a person is not seeking asylum due to starvation, persecution, etc., is he ever morally bound not to simply abandon his troubled country but to work toward, fight for its improvement?
The purpose of my letter is not to argue but to beseech our bishops to shepherd us to a comprehensive understanding of the morality involved in all the various components of this dilemma.
Lisa Olwine Lawrenceville
ROTFL! Oh that's a good one! The American Bishops who are involved in this fracas haven't listened to 'The Vatican' in years!
Is that all Faith is to you? An opportunity to make a political statement?
So? How many of those parents are going to contribute to that Parish? Likely very few. Those Parishes are concerned for the souls of those babies, not money from their parents.
The ORGANIZATION did nothing of the sort. There were some Bishops who cared more for their priests than the victims of those priests, and that was wrong. It was NEVER the entire Church, nor even all the Bishops in the US.
Do you know any Catholics who actually TITHE? Our Parish, which is one of the most affluent in our Diocese has an average donation of $5.00 per week per 'envelope' family. That's more like $250 a year! There are about 3000 families in our Parish, about 1800 get envelopes, and about 1200 return them.
As I read in an article about Parish support a few years ago, "Catholics have deep pockets, but short arms."
Bishops knowingly sent pedophiles to other parishes. When the crimes were committed yet again, bishops moved the offenders yet again.
It would be interesting to know more, but the parishes of the American catholic church have steadfastly refused to provide prosecutors with their records so we may never know how many bishops were actually involved.
All it takes for a succesful conspiracy prosection is two. My bet is that there were many more than two bishops involved in shuffling these monsters around the country.
I'd love for the Church to prove me wrong but as I said they are being most uncooperative with prosecutors.
"He who would harm a child, it is better to have a millstone around his neck and be cast into the sea."
I guess the American Catholic Bishops disagree with Jesus on that point.
L
You keep making sweeping statements about 'The Church', when the number of Bishops and even priests involved in this horrible abuse was relatively small, and there were many Bishops who were not even aware of what was going on in the other Dioceses until there began to be more publicity about it.
Some Public School districts in this country have done the same thing that some of the Bishops did; moved teachers around who had been caught molesting students, and hadn't pushed for their prosecution. I guess they're candidates for RICO prosecution as well.
I'm sick and tired of people making excuses for a bunch of people who knowingly aided and abetted pedophilia. It's disgusting.
If you or I did something like that we'd be staring at a decades long prison sentence, not to mention a civil trial that would leave our childrens childrens children paying off the judgement.
Why is it that the only pedophiles and their enablers who get a pass around here are the ones the Catholic church knew about for decades? The Law in my state is that anyone even suspecting child abuse is bound to report it to the proper authorities. Failing to comply with that law can get you years in the slammer.
The Feds are tossing guys into prison for decades for looking at pictures of kids, yet guys who molested dozens of children are somehow getting a pass because they were priests.
It's like something from the Bizarro world.
Pedophiles should be imprisoned for long, long stretches. Anyone who aids them should be imprisoned for long, long stretches.
Why do you disagree? Why do people around here defend this behavior? It baffles me.
L
I tithe, each and every month. So I guess I do know one Catholic make that two. A Catholic friend who brought me back into the Church and convinced me to start attending RCIA tites each month along with her mother and father.
You havent't the simple courtesy to capitalize a proper noun: "Catholic Church."
Do you know the difference between pedophilia and pederasty?
Links please.
I refer you to post #32.
ping
Do you ever get the feeling Dan Brown sits around reading FR to get the latest conspiracy theory for Da Vinci Code II?
The paranoid fanasies of those who hate the Roman Catholic Church are indistinguishable from clinical schizophrenia.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
sorry little under the weather right now.
Cardinal Mahoney is only looking out for his job security. I WAS a member of a Catholic parish. Growing up, all I heard every sunday is about a poor Cuban or Mexican who just came over the border, or arrived here somehow, in need of appliances, clothing, and on and on. It has hardened me to the point of no return.
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