Bishop Richard Garcia of Monterey came out with a statement about the Arizona law on illegal immigration saying, "We cannot condone such a state of terror." (For more
go here.... For the full text of the bishop's remarks
go here.... ) His inflammatory rhetoric adds little to the debate. He immediately conflates legal and illegal immigration by talking about us being a "nation of immigrants." That's true. We've had orderly immigration since our very beginning. What no nation can sustain, however, is the disorderly invasion by foreigners who do not assimilate and continue to think of themselves as citizens of their native land. The Roman Empire fell because of internal corruption and the barbarian invasions. Will that happen here?
As a commenter on the post declared, "The Arizona law mirrors federal law. Are the bishops going to go after Barack Husein Obama to repeal the federal law? Don't hold your breath. If you are an American in Mexico you need papers. How is it unjust to ask the same of foreign nationals in the United States?I plan on vacationing in Arizona this summer, it's a beautiful state." Good points.
The Church should look at its own organizing structure. She requires people to present papers for many reasons. If you want to be married in the Church, have a baby baptized, receive First Communion, etc. you need to prove you are a Catholic and present your official documents. You can't just storm into the rectory office and demand to be treated like a registered parishioner. You often need to prove you are a Catholic in good standing.
The hysterical attack on Arizona is unjust and imprudent. The bishops should spend a little time asking Mexico to create a just system where people can make a living wage instead of a corruption-ridden two tier system of rich and poor with almost no middle class. Then their people won't have to invade another country to get jobs.
Not to worry, though. Illegal immigration will end when the United States is as corrupt and two-tiered as third world countries with rich politicians and their cronies at the top, the wage slaves at the bottom, and no middle class. With Barack Obama in the White House that day may be coming sooner than we think.
