Posted on 08/26/2013 8:28:53 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
The Roman Catholic Church in the U.S. is increasing pressure on lawmakers to adopt immigration reform and is taking that message to the pews, planning for a major coordinated event for Sunday Masses on Sept. 8.
"We want to try to pull out all the stops," said Kevin Appleby, the director of migration policy at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, according to The New York Times. "They have to hear the message that we want this done, and if you're not successful during the summer, you're not going to win by the end of the year."
Lawmakers have yet to decide on substantial changes to the path to citizenship for unauthorized immigrants, but a number of evangelical churches and groups, along with Catholics, have made it a prime focus in their mission this past year.
"How we treat the stranger is how we treat Christ himself. That message is converting evangelicals by the thousands, by the millions – and we've seen now how that conversation is changing politics," said Jim Wallis, president and CEO of the Christian ministry Sojourners, part of the Evangelical Immigration Table leaders.
"We're praying that the dysfunction can be overcome for the sake of 11 million vulnerable undocumented people that Jesus calls us to welcome. Prayer is necessary in these final stages. We are going to pray without ceasing that they can put aside their interests and agendas and finally do something together for those people and for the common good," he added.
Some analysts have pointed out, however, that not all evangelicals are supportive of immigration reform and the Evangelical Immigration Table leaders do not speak for the entire denomination.
The Catholic Church is also trying to push immigration policy to the forefront by preaching a coordinated message during Sunday Masses on Sept. 8, which the Times says is a part of a broader effort to support President Barack Obama's call for new immigration laws.
Americans have been left left largely divided over a new bill proposing a 13-year pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants, with a recent Gallup poll showing that 33 percent favor immigration reform, 28 percent oppose it, while 38 percent say they don't know what to think of the legislation.
Over 30 percent of Congress members are Catholics, however, including Speaker John. A. Boehner, which might bode well for such legislation.
"The connection between a pastor and their congregation is really like nothing else in society," said Ali Noorani, the executive director of the National Immigration Forum, highlighting the important role priests and bishops have in providing religious reasons to support immigration reform.
"It's pretty rare for the Catholics to take on an issue like this straight to the pews," added Cecilia Muñoz, the director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. "This is actually a much more across-the-church effort, and it shows."
The Catholic Church has clashed with the Obama administration over issues such as same-sex marriage and healthcare, which forces employers to provide birth control in insurance coverage for employees, but so far they have remained on the same page when it comes to addressing the problem that affects 11 million undocumented people in America.
....Some analysts have pointed out, however, that not all evangelicals are supportive of immigration reform and the Evangelical Immigration Table leaders do not speak for the entire denomination. The Catholic Church is also trying to push immigration policy to the forefront by preaching a coordinated message during Sunday Masses on Sept. 8, which the Times says is a part of a broader effort to support President Barack Obama's call for new immigration laws....The Catholic Church has clashed with the Obama administration over issues such as same-sex marriage and healthcare, which forces employers to provide birth control in insurance coverage for employees, but so far they have remained on the same page when it comes to addressing the problem that affects 11 million undocumented people in America.
Those who engage in politics should not get a tax exemption.
Why?
Why is it the churches’ business?
I wish the Church would stay out of politics. Take a strong stand against politicians who support abortion.
I disagree. Civil governments should not claim sovereignty over churches.
PING
I don’t believe the church should get involved in secular politics.
BTW, isn’t there a Catholic Church in Mexico? If so, why aren’t they concerned about their people risking their lives to cross the border into the US. If these people (the priests) were truly concerned about the plight of the “migrants,” they would at least try lifting a finger to help those in their parish. How many Mexican families have been split up because the Catholic Church of Mexico hasn’t tried to help their flock.
I learned a long time ago that when it comes to the Catholic Church, you have to take the bad with the good. The Church is a strong, positive voice in the abortion debate. But it also is a strong voice in the immigration and social spending debates too. Personally, I don’t see how its “compassionate” to force the top 10% of income earners to pay for 2/3rds to 3/4ths of the country’s budget, and to continually pile unfunded spending obligations on the backs of our children and future generations, but that’s just me.
Who gets to decide / impose the definition of "secular politics" on both parties?
The Catholic Church in the USA is bleeding $$$ to pay to maintain its buildings.
Some churches cost 50,000/month to maintain.
Someone has told them that by supporting immigration, they will get more people and thus more $$$$.
Too bad that this will not solve their problem.
I say, fine. As soon as the Herod Regime stops trying to kill Baby Jesus, then we should help Mary and Joseph bring Jesus back to Nazareth. I'm sure that as honest and upright people, they don't want to just get stuck living on a EBT card in Egypt.
Hispanics in the USA (whether legally or illegally) are in dire spiritual danger of losing their faith and their family. Isn't there some way we (I mean we Catholics, the Church) could do something positive --- like set up a microcredit bank for entrepreneurs --- to help them achieve family reunification and financial independence in Mexico?
Oh, and by the way, Kevin Appleby doesn’t have a scrap of canonical authority. My Diocese (Knoxville) has not been pushing this immigration reform scam, and I’d be upset beyond all bounds if I were in a Diocese that did. (And All That Times 10 for L.A.)
” The Catholic Church in the USA is bleeding $$$ to pay to maintain its buildings.
Some churches cost 50,000/month to maintain.
Someone has told them that by supporting immigration, they will get more people and thus more $$$$.”
If we substituted 30 million chinese illegals for Mexican illegals, how much would the Catholic church help them? Would the church organize to legalize them? No.
” “How we treat the stranger is how we treat Christ himself.”
It doesn’t say reward criminal trespassers, or make them citizens.John 10:1
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
Interesting conundrum, as we're not being flooded with Chinese illegals. Is the Catholic Church doing this because the laws are wrong and need to be changed, or because they see opportunity in a political crisis?
The American Bishops could not be more transparent in their hypocrisy.
This makes their liberal political agenda transparent and it illuminates the evil that has festered in The Church’s hierarchy.
Did the American Bishops “pull out all of the stops” to deny the biggest Abortion supporter to ever run for the US Presidency?
Actions speak louder than words. And this clarifies that The Church’s American Bishops, through their official Conference, care more about illegal immigrants than they do the most defenseless and innocent babies who are routinely and systematically put to death on their watch.
....Millstones await.
At the same time they REFUSED to take to the pulpits and tell us we should NOT VOTE to re-elect a man who was forcing us to pay for the morning after pill.
I am thoroughly disgusted.
Collection Basket Uber Alles...
Its always suspect when Christians take one line of scripture and want to impose it on secular govt.
I’ve heard theologians say this line of scripture has been wrongly understood.
” Is the Catholic Church doing this because the laws are wrong and need to be changed,..”
No mass protest over Obama the Abortionist.
” or because they see opportunity in a political crisis?”
The latter.
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