Contentious Issue of Immigration

No original thoughts but many worth considering:

Find here food for thought in the thoughts of church leaders and in the content of church documents, which bear upon the ever contemporary and almost always contentious issue of immigration. All Church teaching harkens back to the 25th Chapter of St. Matthew - when Jesus himself says "I was a stranger and you welcomed me" which is a concept deeply rooted in the prescriptions of Old Testament Law.

It seems essential to the integrity of our claim as Catholics to be solidly "pro-Life" that we have concern for the lives and well being of those who are in the most difficult of straits, especially those who have no hope of a future for themselves and their families in war torn lands or economically impossible circumstances.  These are the same reasons most of our ancestors migrated from the old world to the new so how can we help but to sympathize with those who have no choice but to leave their homelands seeking the hope of a life lived with some measure of  security and the prospect of economic survival if not prosperity?




We can search the scriptures and the writings of saints and theologians throughout the ages even down to our own day and we will not find anything to defend a blanket prohibition of immigration nor anything but an urging of sympathy for and hospitality toward refugees.   Thus in the midst of present political contention over refugees and migrants, people who are among some of the most vulnerable in the human family, let us refrain from being partisan and be first and foremost Catholic in our hearts, our thoughts and words!

Fr. Healey


•In the Old Testament, the Torah teaches that strangers and the homeless in general, inasmuch as they are exposed to all sorts of dangers, deserve special concern from the believer. Indeed, God clearly and repeatedly recommends hospitality and generosity toward the stranger . . . , reminding Israel of how precarious its own existence had once been. John Paul II, Developing Special Concern for the Homeless, Origins 26:30 (January
16, 1997):


•To be especially lamented is the condition of so many millions of refugees, and of every group of people suffering persecution sometimes in institutionalized form for racial or ethnic origin or tribal grounds. This persecution on tribal grounds can at times take on the characteristics of genocide. Justice in the World, Statement of the World Synod of Catholic Bishops (November 30, 1971),


•Every human being has the right to freedom of movement and of residence within the confines of his own state. When there are just reasons in favor for it, he must be permitted to migrate to other countries and to take up residence there. The fact that he is a citizen of a particular state does not deprive him of membership to the human family, nor of citizenship in the universal society, the common, world-wide fellowship of men. John Paul II, Address to the New World Congress on the Pastoral Care of Immigrants (October 17, 1985)

•Our common dignity as human beings calls us to respect the alien among us, regardless of their status or social position. A preferential love for the poor and disenfranchised is a sure sign of one's Christian identity.Most Rev. Robert N. Lynch, Bishop of St. Petersburg, Fla.,


The so-called illegals are so not because they wish to defy the law; but, because the law does not provide them with any channels to regularize their status in our country which needs their labor: they are not breaking the law, the law is breaking them. Most Reverend Thomas Wenski, Bishop of Orlando, Column U.S. immigration policy outdated and unjust toward working Immigrants, May 13, 2005
The Church supports the human rights of all people and offers them pastoral care, education, and social services, no matter what the circumstances of entry into this country, and it works for the respect of the human dignity of all especially those who find themselves in desperate circumstances. Welcoming the Stranger Among Us: Unity in Diversity, A Statement of the U.S. Catholic Bishops

•We call upon all people of good will, but Catholics especially, to welcome the newcomers in their neighborhoods and schools, in their places of work and worship, with heartfelt hospitality, openness, and eagerness both to help and to learn from our brothers and sisters of whatever religion, ethnicity, or background. Welcoming the Stranger Among Us: Unity in Diversity, A Statement of the U.S. Catholic Bishops

•As Catholics we are called to take concrete measures to overcome the misunderstanding, ignorance, competition, and fear that stand in the way of genuinely welcoming the stranger in our midst and enjoying the communion that is our destiny as Children of God. Welcoming the Stranger Among Us: Unity in Diversity, A Statement of the U.S. Catholic Bishops

•The call to solidarity is also a call to promote the effective recognition of the rights of immigrants and to overcome all discrimination based on race, culture, or religion. . . . Catholic lay people, diocesan officials, and bishops should continue to work together with community organizations, labor unions, and other religious bodies on behalf of the rights of immigrants in the workplace, schools, public services, our legal system, and all levels of government. Welcoming the Stranger Among Us: Unity in Diversity, A Statement of the U.S. Catholic Bishops

•Diversity of ethnicity, education, and social class challenges us as pastors to welcome these new immigrants and help them join our communities in ways that are respectful of their cultures and in ways that mutually enrich the immigrants and the receiving Church. Welcoming the Stranger Among Us: Unity in Diversity, A Statement of the U.S. Catholic Bishops

The Church hears the suffering cry of all who are uprooted from their own land, of families forcefully separated, of those who, in the rapid changes of our day, are unable to find a stable home anywhere. She senses the anguish of those without rights, without any security, at the mercy of every kind of exploitation, and she supports them in their unhappiness. [We are called to work] so that every person's dignity is respected, the immigrant is welcomed as a brother or sister, and all humanity forms a united family which knows how to appreciate with discernment the different cultures which comprise it. -Pope John Paul II Message for World Migration Day 2000

The reality is that our current system is immoral. While many may condemn the presence of the undocumented in our land, we willingly accept their hard labor, their contributions to our economy, and their cultural and religious spirit which enriches our local communities. While we accept these contributions, we do so at the expense of the human beings who come here not to harm us but to help us. They are often ridiculed, exploited, and abused. This must stop, and this immoral system must be changed. -The Most Reverend Nicholas DiMarzio, Bishop of Brooklyn, Statement at the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride, October 4, 2003

•Let us, Christians and Non-Christians alike, join in a civil discourse over the complex issues of immigration that acknowledges the enormous contributions being made by our immigrant peoples. Together, let us seek solutions to this issue that treat all with the respect and dignity due to every human being, every son and daughter of God. -The Most Reverend Gerald R. Barnes, Bishop of San Bernardino, Statement on the Repeal of California SB 60, December 10, 2003

•We need a strong and clear immigration policy. It must serve our country's security and prosperity and at the same time be based on the moral values on which all our lives must ultimately rest. We must never forget the Gospel call of Jesus "to welcome the stranger" for in the face of this stranger, we see the face of Christ. -His Eminence Theodore Cardinal McCarrick, Archbishop of Washington, Editorial in the Catholic Standard, To be Clear, June 2, 2005

•Providing a clear route to legal status for longtime residents and providing legal entry to migrants would not only help cure the excesses of a flawed system but ensure that our nation benefits from the contributions of immigrants participating as full members of their communities. Although some in the public square consider any such rule changes a reward for lawbreakers, we should look at the issue holistically and realistically, and understand that the current law is unjust and must be changed. -His Eminence Roger Mahony, Archbishop of Los Angeles, Editorial in the Los Angeles Times, A Nation That Should Know Better, June 1, 2005

•We can no longer accept a situation in which some public officials and members of our communities scapegoat immigrants at the same time our nation benefits from their labor. We can no longer accept a status quo in which migrants are compelled to risk their lives in order to support their families. We can no longer accept a reality in which migrants fill jobs critical to Americans and U.S. employers without receiving appropriate wages and benefits. We can no longer tolerate the death of human beings in the desert. -Most Reverend James Tamayo, Bishop of Laredo, Statement at the Justice for Immigrants Launching Press Conference, May 10, 2005