August 9, 2005 - U.S. and Mexican Bishops Meet, Call for Changes in Immigration Policy

From June 23 to 26, 2005, twenty U.S. and Mexican bishops and more than 150 diocesan staff members and other participants met in El Paso for a Bi-National Migration Conference, organized by the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB). The title of the conference was "Strangers No Longer: Together on a Journey of Hope," the same title as a statement on migration issued jointly by the Mexican and U.S. bishops' conferences in 2003.

Bishop Gerald Kicanas of Tucson said in a June 19 interview before the conference that the role of religious leaders on the subject of immigration is "to educate their people through detailed information, which helps people see the human face of immigration. I am convinced that this simple fact will make the difference. The immigrants are human beings, many of them with an unshakeable faith, desperate to be able to support themselves and their families."

For the Bishops, Catholic pastoral ministry toward immigrants and U.S. immigration policy were main foci at the conference. On immigration policy, Gerald Barnes, bishop of San Bernardino and president of the Committee of Migration of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of the United States, called present U.S. immigration policy "unacceptable".

In a training session on June 23, 2005, the U.S. Bishops outlined their plan for immigration reform, which included:

• A path toward legalization for undocumented immigrants living in the United States.

• Permits for immigrants to work legally in the United States.

• Expedited family reunification. Now, processing of reunification visas can take five years.

In his keynote speech after dinner on the first day of the conference, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, of Washington, D.C., said: "The simple truth is clear: We must welcome the stranger, for in his or her face we see Christ. Sadly, the migration experience today, according to the bishops of both countries, is far from the Kingdom of God that Jesus proclaimed."

Cardinal McCarrick noted that the church has an obligation to its Hispanic faithful to push for change. He said, "The church in the United States is very, very Hispanic and what a blessing that is. They (Hispanic immigrants) come with the values that are so needed in the United States today. When there is a moral issue that concerns so many of our people, we have to speak." He alternated between English and Spanish during his statement and continued, "This is a special moment in the history of the Catholic church and the history of migration."

Sister Sonia Delforno, a participant in the conference and the Executive Director of a group called ComisiíƒÂ³n Episcopal para la Pastoral de la Movilidad Humana (CEPMH), or the Episcopal Pastoral Commission on Human Mobility, said, "This was a historical moment; before, we had only worked together on the Pastoral Letter and to analyze the reality of migration in small groups. Without question, the current work is wider and is characterized by a confident working together, sharing with each other, and understanding."

Sources: "Seekers of í¢â‚¬ËœAmerican Dream' Need Extra Help," June 19, 2005, www.zenit.org
Gilot, Louie, "Immigration Reform Church Goal, Cardinal Says," El Paso Times, June 24, 2005.
"La Iglesia en Estados Unidos es sumamente hispana y esto í‚«es una bendiciíƒÂ³ní‚»," June 30, 2005, http://www.cardinalrating.com/cardinal_62__article.htm

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Reflection Questions
Why do the bishops believe it is so important for the Catholic Church to be interested in the reform of U.S. immigration policy?

Why do both Cardinal McCarrick and Sister Delforno call the conference a historical moment for the Church?

How do the suggested changes to immigration policy reflect a better understanding of the human dignity and "human face" of immigrants than current policy?

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Prayer
God of all people who are
brown, black, white, yellow and red,

We live in a world where national borders make us strangers.
Yet we long to know our sisters and brothers, we long to be one family .

Open our eyes to unjust policies that prevent us from welcoming
the members of our families who come to escape poverty, seek work, and be reunited with loved ones.

Help us to challenge the perception which sees any human persons as "illegal ,"
And to call for the recognition of the human dignity of all.

Amen.