Posted on 06/30/2007 8:27:21 AM PDT by hardback
WASHINGTON, June 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. bishops decried failure of immigration reform and its implicit exploitation of millions of people.
The position was voiced by Bishop Gerald R. Barnes of San Bernardino, California, chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Migration.
"As a nation, we cannot continue to employ an immigration system that leads to the exploitation of millions of our fellow human beings," bishop Barnes said.
"We cannot accept the toil of a large underclass which does not have full rights in our society. This strikes at the very character of our nation and lessens us as a people."
Bishop Barnes called on "Congress not to abandon this issue and to return to it as soon as possible." "The status quo is morally unacceptable and should not be allowed to stand," he said. "The U.S. bishops shall continue to point out the moral deficiencies in the immigration system and work toward justice until it is achieved."
The June 29 statement follows. On behalf of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), I am deeply troubled that fair and comprehensive immigration reform legislation has failed to move forward in the U.S. Senate.
I applaud those U.S. Senators of both parties who showed courage in working for comprehensive reform legislation and encourage them to continue their efforts to fix our broken immigration system.
As a nation, we cannot continue to employ an immigration system that leads to the exploitation of millions of our fellow human beings. We cannot accept the toil of a large underclass which does not have full rights in our society. This strikes at the very character of our nation and lessens us as a people.
I urge our elected officials in Congress not to abandon this issue and to return to it as soon as possible. The status quo is morally unacceptable and should not be allowed to stand. The U.S. bishops shall continue to point out the moral deficiencies in the immigration system and work toward justice until it is achieved.
SOURCE U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
They came into the country illegally, fool!
Build the fence!
I’m thrilled that ILLEGAL people, criminals aren’t getting amnesty.
The Catholics think this is a good way to get more cash, because most are Catholics.
I know I sound jaded...
Catholics decry failure of bishops to teach Catholicism.
Wonder why the Catholic Bishops never ‘decry’ the failure of the mexican oligarchs to provide jobs for their own poor?
Catholic church wants more illegals in the pews and more dineros in the collection plates.
“We cannot accept the toil of a large underclass which does not have full rights in our society.”
They will be welcome if they come through established legal channels.
Anyone who violates the law is not entitled to any rights to our society.
Pawn x Bishop!
>> We cannot accept the toil of a large underclass which does not have full rights in our society.
You are absolutely right, Mr. Bishop.
We should send them home, pronto.
Bishop Barnes, or Fred Barnes?
Yoohoo, Bishops of the most high (high on something) -- talk to the Chamber of Commerce about their human trafficking, their exploiting the American taxpayer, exploiting the small towns, bankrupting hospitals, etc. -- talk to the lawyers who would have had their fees paid by the government in representing illegals -- talk to the countries from which these illegals are leaving in hopes of finding a better future. Looks as if these high-and-mighty are part of the problem....
“As a nation, we cannot continue to employ an immigration system that leads to the exploitation of millions of our fellow human beings,” bishop Barnes said.”
Exploitation will continue for as long as we allow these people to continue to break the law. When we build a fence and stop the flow of illegal activity I would be willing to begin discussing how these people might be included in our country, either as American’s, who will have to meet certain standards to achieve this status, or as documented workers.
Exactly, what laws might I be allowed to break, Bishop Barnes?? Payment of income tax, software theft, sneaking into the movie theater because it is too expensive??
How about hiring some of these folks to work on my lawn and paying them under the table? Now that they are here they’re going to need the money? What is the correct rate to hire them at? 2 bucks a day? $10 an hour? Or maybe I should turn them in to the authoriuties?
I want to do the Christian thing, but it all seems so confusing.
seems to me that these guys are exceeding the limits of their 501-C3 non-political tax exempt status......
I don’t believe that for a second, but it does sound jaded.
I think many Catholics believe that this is following the teachings of the Gospels? I think this approach is just soft-headed.
“The U.S. bishops decried failure of immigration reform...”
That’s okay, all Bible-believing patriotic Baptist preachers are very happy about the failure of that bill.
Why should we have implied to us that the Catholic bishops are supposed to be held in any higher esteem than our non-Catholic Christian pastors, evangelists and missionaries ???
I suggest the author of the article do some interviews with local church pastors around the country . . . you know, just for balance.
In central Virginia at any rate the illegals are generally NOT practicing Catholics. Some are protestants and they do not attend Mass with any regularity. The RC Church in Mexico seems to be intent on driving the poor out, to judge by the way they charge fees for services like Baptism. (Or so the migrants told us. It's certainly true that they did NOT welcome the idea of our coming to their camps to celebrate until we reassured them that there was no fee. When they learned THAT, they welcomed us enthusiastically.)
We used to go up into the camps on Sunday evenings and celebrate Mass. It was not a money maker.
But that doesn't keep the bishops from not having a clue about the issue. I'm just arguing that any monetary motives are at best misguided and ill-informed. I'm all for mercy being the perfection of justice and all that, but this isn't mercy, it's enabling.
>>”We cannot accept the toil of a large underclass which does not have full rights in our society.”<<
Bishop, if you’re so worried about the “large underclass”, then “go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor.”
You’ll forgive me for not holding my breath.
The more things change....
You are not jaded, you are realistic and can see through their false facade of concern for the poor illegal immigrant.
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