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
When is okay to break the law?
This Catholic says the Catholic bishops are a**holes.
Great letter to the editor.
If these illegal immigrants were Baptists or Holy Rollers, the Catholic church would be less interested in their welfare. Why? Because the Catholic church has a horse in this race. Falling revenues, falling church attendance have plagued the US church, and here come millions of devout Spanish speaking Catholics pouring over the border. Of course the church wants them coddled and cared for. They can hear the jingle of coins hitting that collection plate on Sunday morning.
Damn, that sounds so cynical. But 1000% correct.
At St Peters in the Vatican the Swiss guards keep out people based on the clothes they wear ... how about we just keep out people with bandanas ?
Amen. That is an excellent letter. Catholic bishops, above all, should be cognizant of the proper authority of law and the virtue of obedience.
Repeal the tax exempt status of the Catholic Church. Let them share in the tax burden of the average citizen for supporting illegals.
I do have a problem with the government interfering in the Church's religious-based activity, whether it be requiring the Church to let gays adopt children (Massachusetts) or making the Church report illegal aliens. Providing for the needy is a Catholic requirement, and laws that raise the specter of criminal liability for doing just that are an impediment to free exercise of religion.
Nice theory. But, it doesn't fly. These people have no coins to drop in the collection plate. They are just as much a liability to the Catholic Church as they are to society in general.
No, they get to say their mind on these matters. They have an obligation to do so. WHy they chose the Dark Side on this issue is beyond me though.
It's candidate endorsement they aren't allowed to do.
Okay, when is it right to break the law? I believe Christian charity applies when you encounter a beggar by the roadside or at your front door...
I do not believe it applies to the thief who sneaks over the fence and into the sheep pen. As it turns out, that is one of the parables in the Gospel of John.
BTTT
"Providing for the needy is a Catholic requirement"
Let them go to Mexico and do it.
If they do it here, toss their commie backsides in jail!
You don't have to ask, I have nothing but contempt for the catholic church.
Illegals send several billions of dollars back to Mexico yearly. The transfer of money to Mexico from America is the second largest source of revenue after oil revenues for Mexico
You are sadly mistaken if you believe the Catholic church is not eyeing tapping this revenue stream for itself
Yes, the thief comes to steal and destroy.
You're spreading Jack-Chick-like propaganda.
The Catholic Church in the United States has had the current stance on immigration for 30 years. Go back and read some pastoral letters in the 1980s. They're identical to those issued today.
And the canard that the bishops are encouraging illegal immigration to make up for a revenue shortfall is idiotic. There is no shortfall; collections are back up to where they were prior to 2002.
Hispanics, as a whole, do not contribute to the Church. That is a statistical fact.
It is, but Jesus meant for it to apply to the Pharisees, not illegals.
You have contempt for lots of things and people.
You're going to drop dead from all that anger.
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