Posted on 07/02/2010 9:47:02 PM PDT by NoLibZone
Commenting on President Obama's speech on immigration reform Thursday morning, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops migration director told CNA that the address was a good sign that the president is concerned and involved with the issue.
On July 1, President Obama spoke on the need to reform the country's broken immigration system, condemning partisanship and stressing the necessity of both parties working together to pass immigration reform. The president also criticized states such as Arizona for taking ill-conceived steps in devising their own legislative responses in reforming immigration policies.
Although the speech was received by the media with mixed reactions including some commentators saying that the president addressed nothing new in his talk USCCB director Migration and Public Affairs Kevin Appleby said that the address was important, since without presidential leadership, immigration reform is not going to happen.
It was a good sign that the president did a high profile speech laying out the administration's view on this, Appleby said during a phone interview on Thursday, adding that it is a major issue on his agenda that needs to be examined.
President Obama, he asserted, is not going to shy away from this issue while many in Washington want to not take it up.
During his speech, the president also made a lot of references to the faith community and faith leaders being important, Appleby noted. The speech was attended by about 250 people, including a Methodist bishop and several evangelical leaders.
Speaking on the U.S. bishops' perspective on immigration reform, Appleby said that at this point the bishops and the president are very close in their viewpoint.
Certainly they might differ on the details, especially on enforcement, but I think by and large, the president's speech was an affirmation of where the Church is.
When asked what the U.S. bishops' concerns are regarding immigration reform, Appleby listed bringing people out of the shadows for legalization, due process issues, and exploring underlying push factors for why people are immigrating to the U.S. in the first place as some of the major points.
Ultimately, the Catholic community is key to reform efforts, said Appleby. Whether you agree or disagree with what the law says, there are people that are desperate and in need of assistance.
For Catholics to understand the need for solidarity with immigrants is an important message, he concluded.
Oh yes .. another picture for you to ponder .. while reading?
If Roman bigwigs made kissy face with Hitler (in his early years, before it was perfectly clear he was a monster) that’s still not as stupid as when Pope Paul kissed a Koran. You can misjudge where a budding politician is headed; but there’s no way to misjudge the aspirations of Islam.
” Strip the Catholic church of their tax exempt status and arrest any of them that are harboring criminal and illegals!”
I agree, and arrest Obama for “deriliction of duty” as CIC!
Pandering to illegal South American Catholic invaders, along with the funny priests scandal is a serious flaw with the Catholic Church.
Mainstream Christian Churches are betraying their congregations and their country with their politically correct garbage, driving more and more Christians AWAY from churches w at THE VERY TIME they should be marshaling support against ISLAM.
This is betrayal at the highest levels of Christiandom!!
You mistake political correctness with the 600 year goal of the pope to conquer the New World. He does not consider the national boundries to be “settled”
Weak Spanish kings fumbled his ball. He has picked it up and sees daylight toward the end zone and is running as hard as he can and has the whole Democrat party and half of the Republicans blocking for him.
You mistake political correctness with the 600 year goal of the pope to conquer the New World. He does not consider the national boundaries to be “settled”
Weak Spanish kings fumbled his ball. He has picked it up and sees daylight toward the end zone and is running as hard as he can and has the whole Democrat party and half of the Republicans blocking for him.
What’s amazing to me is the failure of the Church to realize, if only by looking at the Hagia Sophia in Byzantium, that is exactly what the muzzies intend ...
I’ll add this tidbit to the countless hundreds of reasons I left the Catholic Religion many years ago.
Thank-you, I do not feel alone as a Catholic who believes in the importance of the USA Constitution.
For now, until November 2, 2010 and November 2012, which will be BIG WAKE UP CALLS.
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