Sinsinawa
Spectrum
A Congregation News Magazine
Catholic Leaders Call for Immigration Reform
Article courtesy of LCWR Director of Communications Annmarie Sanders, IHM
In May, the presidents of the national conferences of men and women religious, comprised of leaders of U.S. orders of Catholic priests, brothers, and Sisters, issued a statement calling President Obama and Senate and House leaders to work for comprehensive immigration reform immediately.
The members of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) and the Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM) represent the majority of the country’s Catholic Sisters, brothers, and priests, a number of whom work directly with immigrant families and communities.
The statement refers to a previous joint statement issued in 2007 in response to the failure of comprehensive immigration reform and stated, “The status quo is morally unacceptable as millions of immigrants are relegated again to the shadows in our nation.” The current statement was prompted by the “recent draconian enforcement-only legislation in the state of Arizona and the introduction by Senator Schumer and others of a ‘Conceptual Proposal for Immigration Reform’ which once again underscores the absolute necessity for Congress to act soon and comprehensively to fix our broken immigration system.”
While acknowledging the right of the United States “to control its borders,” the presidents affirm the need for a “just and humane approach to immigration reform” which “must include a path to citizenship, family reunification, and protection of workers’ rights.” The statement emphasizes both religious values inherent in the Catholic faith and missions of many of our religious institutes and the national U.S. value of being a welcoming group of people.