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Below is the statement on immigration, written by the
bishops of California last month, and proclaimed by Bishop Allen Vigneron
during the diocesan Guadalupe procession on Dec. 8.
Each of us wants and needs to belong — to family, to community,
or to country. As Catholics we are privileged to belong to the body of
Christ — His Church. The teachings of the Catholic Church, rooted
in Scripture and over 2,000 years of rich tradition, guide us to the knowledge
that part of belonging to the Body of Christ is to love and to help each
other — our family and our neighbors.
Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, in his encyclical, Deus Caritas Est,
drawing on Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan, reminds us that:
“Anyone who needs me, and whom I can help, is my neighbor…that
love of neighbor is a path that leads to the encounter with God, and that
closing our eyes to our neighbor also blinds us to God.”
Reflecting on both the teachings of our Church about helping our neighbor
and the reasons for the current “immigration problem,” we
have several observations:
From our experience, the overwhelming majority of undocumented immigrants
to America are not criminals: They migrate in order to find work to support
themselves and their families. They perform work in industries important
to California and the nation — such as agriculture, service and
construction.
Our current immigration system is outmoded because it does not contain
sufficient work visas for temporary migrant workers to enter the country
in a safe, legal and orderly manner.
As Catholic bishops, we acknowledge the right and the necessity of our
country to maintain our borders and enforce our laws. However, we caution
that while so doing, our government must respect human rights and dignity
and minimize the separation of families. We have consistently held that
a restructuring of policy so as to address all aspects of immigration
is the right way to secure our country, make our communities safe, and
effectively solve the problem of unauthorized migration to our country.
We make the following suggestions of elements which ought to be considered
in a restructuring of immigration policy:
• Easily available temporary visas for those willing to work
• Improved border security and enhanced humanitarian training for
border guards
• Fair and equitable rules and reasonable time frames for processing
applications to become legal permanent residents
• Compassionate rules and practical time frames for family reunification
for legal resident aliens and naturalized citizens
• Reasonable requirements for legal residents to become citizens
• Recognition of the impact of globalization and free trade on patterns
of migration
There are estimates of millions of people living in the United States
without proper documentation—many live in fear of deportation or
in mourning for family members who have been deported.
It is important to recognize that California’s economy would be
weakened — if not severely harmed — with a deportation of
undocumented workers. In our view, they should be given the opportunity
to adjust their legal status and to earn the right to remain in the country
permanently and legally.
We ought not to benefit from the fruits of their labor, on one hand, and
relegate them to an underclass on the other.
We understand that many Californians are troubled by the presence of a
large number of undocumented immigrants in our State. We acknowledge and
share that concern.
Illegal immigration is good neither for society nor for the person migrating.
However, we urge Catholics — and all Californians — to reject
attacks on these immigrants and to work constructively toward a human
resolution of the problem of illegal immigration.
As Catholics we are enjoined by our Holy Father to love our neighbor so
as to encounter God. As people of good will, we entreat Congress to immediately
return to consideration of a restructured immigration policy.
And as Bishops, we call upon Catholics and all people of good will —
recalling our nation’s history — to treat each other with
dignity and respect and to work together constructively to ensure a positive
outcome to this vital national debate. We hold all concerned in our prayers.
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