Posted on 04/18/2008 2:48:33 PM PDT by Pyro7480
Lombardi: Thank you, Your Holiness. Another theme upon which we had many questions from our colleagues was that of immigration, reflecting the growing presence of Hispanics in the society of the United States. We’ll have a question from our colleague Andres Beltramo, from the Notimex agency in Mexico.
Beltramo: I’ll ask the question in Italian, but we would love to have just a greeting in Spanish. With the enormous growth in the Hispanic presence, the Catholic church in the United States is becoming steadily more bilingual and bicultural. Yet there’s also a growing “anti-immigrant” movement in America. Do you intend to invite the United States to welcome immigrants well, many of whom are Catholic?
Benedict XVI: Unfortunately I’m not ready to speak in Spanish, but I offer a greeting and blessing for all the Spanish-speakers! Certainly I’ll talk about this subject. I recent had the ad limina visit from the bishops of Central America, also South America. I saw the scope of this problem, above all the grave problem of the separation of families. This is truly dangerous for the social, human and moral fabric of these countries.
It seems to me that we have to distinguish between measures to be taken immediately, and longer-term solutions. The fundamental solution [would be] that there is no longer any need to immigrate, that there are sufficient opportunities for work and a sufficient social fabric that no one any longer feels the need to immigrate. We all have to work for this objective, that social development is sufficient so that citizens are able to contribute to their own future.
On this point, I want to speak with the President, because above all the United States must help countries develop themselves. Doing so is in the interests of everyone, not just this country but the whole world, including the United States.
In the short term, it’s very important above all to help the families. This is the primary objective, to ensure that families are protected, not destroyed. Whatever can be done, must be done. Naturally, we have to do whatever’s possible against economic insecurity, against all the forms of violence, so that they can have a worthy life.
I’d like also to say that although there are many problems, so much suffering, there’s also much hospitality [in America.] I know that the bishops’ conference in America collaborates a great deal with the Latin American bishops’ conference. Together they work to help priests, laity and so on. With so many painful things, it’s also important not to forget much good and many positive actions.
The man should be ashamed for lying to the Holy Father. I hope that someone speaks the truth to the Pope on this matter.
This is sort of like the “misremembering” of Milton Friedman’s position on illegal immigration after his death.
There's an anti illegal immigrant movement ..
There are also a whole lot of folks who are anti immigrant generally, especially if those immigrants have the wrong religion or the wrong skin color.
this is red meat to the frothy-mouthed.
People who refuse to acknowledge the difference between legal and illegal immigration do not deserve the protection of the rule of law, because they exempt themselves from it.
Not to mention the Spaniards and the Filipinos with Spanish-sounding last names.
That's an interesting point. Doing nothing is not in our best interests. Having good, responsible, prosperous neighbors and trade partners is. However, simply throwing money at the problem won't help, and will likely exacerbate problems.
So ... what actions, by government, by industry, by private charitable organizations, by individuals, would actually help?
But he still supports the UN.
On the other hand, there is nothing wrong with reducing legal immigration, either. As long as it is done legally.
That is to say, legalizing those here illegally is not the solution that the American people are looking for. What they want is to limit immigration to what can be assimilated. Not to leave it at levels where the original culture can continue unabated.
No. Once again, read what he actually said. He supports what the UN purports to be.
If the track records predicts the future, boy do we have problems.
Funny. Where are all the Pope-bashers now? They were swarming earlier today—”Get out of my country, you foreign potentate!” “With all due respect, the Pope is an idiot.” “Go back to sending priests out to rape little boys.”
Now that we know what the Pope actually said, where are they?
Good question.
I posted an excerpted version of these comments on the 15th, and there weren’t many comments on it either. Yet they soak in the MSM’s version of the comments. I think it’s hypocritical.
“The fundamental solution [would be] that there is no longer any need to immigrate, that there are sufficient opportunities for work and a sufficient social fabric that no one any longer feels the need to immigrate.”
The Pope is absolutely right. What no one addresses, is that if all the ambitious flee the country, there is no stimulus to change their present incompetant, corrupt, system. They need to stay home and CHANGE things.
[well ... technically he wasn’t lying.]
[There’s an anti illegal immigrant movement ..]
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With all due respect, I think you’re misrepresenting the Pope’s word.
The Pope is clearly an intelligent and articulate man. I have to believe (unless he clarifies his words in the future) that he is aware of the continuing misuse of “immigrant”, when the correct term for the issue is “illegal immigrant”.
By everything I have read so far, the Pope clearly feels that the U.S. should accept both categories of immigrants, and the citizens of the U.S. should foot the bill.
I disagree with this position of course, but I really think that no one should fail to take the Pope at his words, which define his desires for U.S. actions on the issue of illegal immigration.
He is being very straightforward about it, I believe.
[There are also a whole lot of folks who are anti immigrant generally, especially if those immigrants have the wrong religion or the wrong skin color.]
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Your statement here is a bit vague.
How many is a “whole lot”?
Would you agree that the citizens of the U.S. should have the say about who can enter and stay, as citizens?
What specific religion(s) and skin color(s) are you specifically referring to?
Per their M.O. the usual suspects are conspicuous in their absence.
Bingo. I’ve been trying to say this on FR for years. In order to handle the problem of illegal immigration, we must understand WHY they choose to do something illegal rather than the right thing.
Perhaps the process to becoming a legal immigrant is too complicated. Perhaps the risk is dwarfed by the desire to create a better life. Perhaps the illegal route is so easy to pull off, and people, being like electrons (I am a chemistry major), do what they do using the least amount of energy needed to do it. Perhaps the situation in their own countries is so crappy that it is totally worth the risk.
People accused me of being some bleeding heart who wants to build the MexiCanAmera freeway through people’s backyards and whiz on the U.S. flag while hiding 30 guys named Juan in my trunk while I cross the border at Tijuana.
The real reason is that I feel we should be so motivated to promote our way of life in other countries (especially Mexico), so that these people don’t have a reason to move here. That they are so happy where they are that they stay in their native land where the standard and quality of life would be no different there than it is for them here. I desire this for all nations of the earth. This should be the ultimate goal we should all be working to achieve.
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