Catholic Bishops Launch New Push for Immigration Reform, Pathway to Citizenship
Friday, January 08, 2010
The Most Reverend John C. Wester, Bishop of Salt Lake City (Photo from Diocese of Salt Lake City Web site)
– The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will push to get immigration-reform legislation enacted in 2010. The group has voiced support for one Democrat-sponsored bill that grants a pathway to citizenship for people who came to this country illegally.
In a conference call Wednesday with reporters, Salt Lake City Bishop John C. Wester said, “It is our view, and that of others, that the American public, including the Catholic and other faith communities, want a humane and comprehensive solution to the problems which beset our immigration system, and they want Congress to address this issue.”
Wester, who chairs the USCCB Committee on Migration, said the church will prod lawmakers take action on the issue, beginning with a postcard campaign to members of Congress and prayer vigils across the country.
On Dec. 23, the Catholic bishops also wrote a letter of support to Rep. Luiz Gutierrez (D-Ill.) for a bill he co-sponsored -- the Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity Act of 2009 (H.R. 4321). The bishops called the bill “an important first step in the legislative process.”
