BBC: Cardinal urges 'fair' migrant law ~ Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles,

BBC ^ | Thursday, 6 April 2006, 10:58 GMT 11:58 UK | Duncan Kennedy BBC News, Los Angeles

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Cardinal urges 'fair' migrant law

By Duncan Kennedy BBC News, Los Angeles

Cardinal Mahony has intervened in the immigration debate before

The leader of the largest Catholic archdiocese in the US, Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles, has called for "just and humane" immigration laws.

This is in response to the growing controversy over the future of millions of illegal immigrants.

He said the debate in the Senate this week on immigration reform would have far-reaching effects for all Americans.

Cardinal Mahony leads five million Roman Catholics, 75% of them of Hispanic origin.

In a statement, he urged solidarity for those "undocumented" immigrants who he said often endured lives of deprivation and hardship.

He said Christian gospels called for people to stand with "the poor, the stranger and the least among us".

The debate in the Senate this week on immigration reform would be important for all Americans, including, he said, "those among us who are not citizens but who believe in the American dream", he said.

'Outspoken'

This is not the first time the cardinal has added his comments to this divisive debate.

Last month, he criticised a House of Representatives bill that would make it a crime to help any of the 12 million illegal immigrants now said to be living in the United States.

At the time, he urged priests under his control to engage in a campaign of civil disobedience as part of efforts to reject the bill.

Some commentators have attacked the cardinal's position, saying his outspoken views were an attempt to increase Latino numbers in Catholic churches faced with dwindling attendances.

President George Bush has again called on the Senate to pass a comprehensive bill on immigration.

He wants a guest worker programme that would give the illegal workers temporary permission to stay in the country.

But opponents, including some in his own Republican Party, say that would amount to an amnesty.

[MplsSteve]

When Archbishop Mahony owns up to the fact that he allowed a culture of priest pedophilia to go unchecked in his archdiocese, I may remotely start to listen to anything he says.

[cripplecreek]

Can't fill collection plates without filling the pews first.

[goodnesswins]

Follow the MONEY....

[Crispus Attucks Patriot]

If he would excommunicate people like Kerry, Kennedy, and Pelosi for being pro-abortion, then maybe we'd listen to him.

Until then this criminal-enabler needs to realize we're a constitutional republic based on law and not a dictatorship run from Rome based on legend.

[kellynla]

I called Mahony's office the other day and left him a nice message of outrage...not that it would do any good because like the GOP the only thing the parish priests pay attention to are the receipts.

[Milhous]

Leftist Catholic Cardinal does an infinitely better job of capturing his true affiliation. Leftist first and foremost with relatively minor negotiable affiliations following. A Hispanic associate of mine who describes himself as a paleoconservative often wears his US Marine uniform to church while confronting Leftist clergy to remind them that the Catholic church contains too broad of spectrum of people with differing political perspectives to serve soley as a Leftist sounding board.

[hershey]

The Church has a horse in this race, they're hardly impartial. (Plummeting revenues and the prospect of huge numbers of Catholic Hispanics attending church and dropping money in the collection plate -- in any language, that's called greedy self-interest.) Migrant is the word. Mexicans are migrating north. One quarter of Mexico is already here, half of everyone left...the middle class...is packing. Mexico is being depopulated, but the Church doesn't have a clue as to what that means for Mexico, but Fox is already telling the US to 'invest in Mexico's (collapsing), infrastructure'.

[rock58seg]

These are the people, who make me lose patience with my church. How can they can they climb so high and be so stupid. If he really wants to do something for the Mexican people, work with his counterparts in Mexico to improve that Hellhole. I suspect the Church Heirachy in Mexico is part of the power structure and therefore part of the problem, not the solution.

I feel betrayed by my Church, by my political party, and law enforcement that will not enforce.

[CWW]

Sadly, Cardinal Mahoney has been a disgrace to the Catholic Church.

But please don't judge the entire Catholic Church my the wayward acts of one cardinal or bishop.

[MplsSteve]

I'm Catholic too.

I absolutely wouldn't judge the Church based on a couple of far-left Archbishops.

But Mahony has no credibility due to his lack of action in dealing with the priest pedophilia issue within his archdiocese.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I have a Flyer ( came in the OC Register ) selling homesites with a 180 degree view of the Sea of Cortuz in the Baja, El Dorado Ranch, at San Felipe.....

Beachfront Property and Home Sites "on the golf course"

[ArrogantBustard]

Mahony has zero credibility for a lot of reasons besides his inability or unwillingness to keep the homosexual predators out of the seminaries and rectories. This sort of nonsense is to be expected from him.

[BIGZ]

Cardinal Mahony leads five million Roman Catholics, 75% of them of Hispanic origin

I am ashamed to be Catholic, this from the man that hid the years of abuse by priests. Despicable.

The problem with the Catholic Church is the same problem that exists with the Muslims. Muslims in order keep their religion of Islam, must keep the general population poor. Democracy and Free Enterprise are not synonymous words but you must have both to succeed. Economic success in Iraq would destabilize the entire Muslim structure. Prosperous people do not need Religion. The Catholic Religion is in the same position, (as are most major religions) prosperous people don't need the religious crutch.

75% Hispanics Mahoneys's only hope for the Catholic Church in the prosperous United States.

I stopped attending the Catholic Church when the Church adopted the hippie, guitar culture and the hug and kiss your neighbor policy.

Don't feel good do good.

[ArrogantBustard]

I suspect the Church Heirachy in Mexico is part of the power structure and therefore part of the problem, not the solution.

More likely, the Catholic Hierarchy was driven to near extinction by the communist government in Mexico. Even today, the Church is barely tolerated.

!Viva Cristo Rey!

[ArrogantBustard]

If he would excommunicate people like Kerry, Kennedy, and Pelosi for being pro-abortion,

I appreciate your sentiments ... but Roger Cardinal Mahony is (sad to say) the Bishop of Los Angeles. Kerry, Kennedy, and Pelosi are residents of Massachussetts. They're more than a little out of his jurisdiction. He has no more authority to excommunicate them than I do. Excommunicating them is Sean Cardinal O'Malley's job.

[ArrogantBustard]

The Catholic Religion is in the same position, (as are most major religions) prosperous people don't need the religious crutch.

Take your (Marxist|Lenninist|Maoist) propaganda back to the DUmpster where it belongs.

[KeyLargo]

FBI stopped Hezbollah smugglers (US Mexico Border)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1606335/posts

[A.A. Cunningham]

You're nuts.

[BIGZ]

Marxist, Lennist, Maoist, if they are what Capitalism is then I am wrong.