Dear People Whom God Loves,
I encourage you to take a broad look at the issue of immigration. Too easily we take a hard position without considering the broad picture. I have to be careful of that myself. We easily put things into sound bytes that give a slanted version of the reality.
The bishops of our country have issued statements that can help broaden our perspectives.
In their 2003 pastoral letter “Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope”, they offer the following principles:
1. People have the right to find opportunities in their homeland
2. People have the right to migrate to support themselves and their families
3. Sovereign nations have the right to control their borders
4. Refugees and asylum seekers should be afforded protection
5. The human rights and dignity of undocumented immigrants should be respected
For more, see www.mncc.org
You may also see the June 2010 statement by our Minnesota bishops www.mncc.org/issues/immigration-Sunday
Smile, God Loves You,
Father C
Leave a Reply