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September 5, 2013Cardinal Timothy Dolan has sent this letter to be distributed:
Comprehensive immigration reform continues to be widely debated with much media coverage. The Catholic Church, for years, has been at the forefront -- in helping immigrants through our parishes, schools and Catholic Charities -- by fighting for just and compassionate immigration reform. Throughout the country, the Church continues to draw attention to the reality, agreed upon by both political parties, that our current emigration system does not work and needs to be reformed. (There are many resources and much on the website of the USCCB, and in particular, the Justice for Immigrants Campaign.) http://www.justiceforimmigrants.org/index.shtml
The Catholic Church has always been a champion for and source of support to immigrants. We have been and are a Church of Immigrants. Immigration reform must be comprehensive: respecting family unity, providing a path to full participation in our society, securing our borders in a humane way, and providing a fair legal immigration system. These values flow from the social teaching of the Church. It is the right and responsibility of Catholics to participate in the political process. As our nation debates immigration reform, now is a critical time to communicate with our elected officials-especially those of the U.S. House of Representatives-about our values and concerns.