The diocesan administrator and his consultors issued a statement last week addressing the critical needs of immigrants in this country.
On Oct. 26, Msgr. J. Gaston Hebert gathered the six consultors appointed to help him lead the Diocese of Little Rock and issued a statement on the Catholic response to the current immigration debate. On the same day President George Bush signed into a law a bill authorizing the construction of a new 700-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Earlier in October, the National Conference for Community and Justice of Arkansas issued a similar statement. Catholic Charities of Arkansas and several other religious leaders and groups were named among the more than 60 “allies” speaking out against the anti-immigrant debate.
Federal Census Bureau data shows that Arkansas has one of the fast-growing Hispanic populations in the country. Nearly 5 percent of the state’s 2.7 million residents identify themselves as Hispanic.
Diocesan leaders have consistently spoken out against state and national bills that would discriminate against immigrants and make it more difficult for them to live and work in the United States. During Holy Week this year the diocese supported an immigration rally on the steps of the state Capitol for more than 4,000 immigrants and their families. In 1995 Bishop Andrew J. McDonald issued a pastoral letter called “The Immigrants in Our Midst.”
In the diocesan statement, Msgr. Hebert and the consultors said, “The Church’s position on immigration is grounded in Scripture and Church teaching, including papal encyclicals and statements from the bishops.”
“We recognize that we share the common experience of an immigrant people for we are all descended from migrants and are migrants on earth until we reach our true home in heaven.”
On Oct. 17, the NCCJ held a press conference in Little Rock to unveil its proposal for comprehensive immigration reform.
In the NCCJ statement, the allies noted that immigrants have had a positive impact on Arkansas.
“We also recognize that the prevailing discourse based on race, skin color, language or ethnicity deprives people of basic human dignity. Accordingly, we must stop calling human beings ’illegals.’”
Sheila Gomez, director of Catholic Charities of Arkansas, helped write the NCCJ statement. Gomez said the NCCJ statement is similar to what the U.S. bishops are proposing.
She said diocesan and NCCJ statements are urging people to be more aware of the needs of immigrants and how they should be treated with dignity in spite of their legal status.
“The term ’illegals’ deprives the individual of human dignity,” she said. “A person is more than their immigration status.”
“A lot of Catholics are unaware what the Church teaches regarding immigrants and immigration. People don’t know what the Bible says about the stranger, what the encyclicals teach and what our own bishops teach.”
Diocesan statement: ’Children of God’
The letter from Msgr. Hebert and the consultors says:
“When an alien resides with you in your land, do not mistreat him. You shall treat the alien who resides with you no differently than the natives born among you; have the same love for him as for yourself; for you too were once aliens in the land of Egypt. I, the Lord, am your God.” (Leviticus 19: 33-34)
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Recognizing that the immigration issue is of significant importance for our diocese, the Church is compelled to speak. The Church always has the responsibility to educate and provide moral leadership on issues that are considered of significant importance to our Catholic faith principles.
Historically, the Church has always expressed a special love for immigrants and those far from their homeland. As children of God, we recognize that all persons, including the most vulnerable among us, possess unique human dignity and deserve to be treated with respect, regardless of nationality or status. As God’s children, we place the needs of the poor and the vulnerable first.
The Church’s position on immigration is grounded in Scripture and Church teaching, including papal encyclicals and statements from the bishops. We are commanded throughout Scripture to welcome the stranger. Matthew’s Gospel challenges us to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty and welcome the stranger — for in doing so, we are serving Christ himself. (Matthew 25:35) Papal encyclicals from Popes Leo XIII, John XXIII and John Paul II establish and affirm that all people have basic rights to human dignity, work, migration and membership to the human family. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued various statements that guide and educate the faithful on immigration.
Rooted in Church teaching, the bishops are calling for a just resolution to the current immigration situation in our nation. They have taken a leading role in promoting comprehensive immigration reform rather than an enforcement-only policy. In the pastoral letter, “Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope,” the bishops outline five basic principles that guide Catholic response to public policy on immigration:
Persons have the right to find opportunities in their homeland.
Persons have the right to migrate to support themselves and their families.
Sovereign nations have a right to control their border.
Refugees and asylum seekers should be afforded protection.
The human rights and the human dignity of undocumented migrants should be respected.
Guided by these principles, the Catholic Church in Arkansas stands in peace and solidarity with immigrants throughout history who have migrated to the United States of America and to the Diocese of Little Rock. We recognize that we share the common experience of an immigrant people for we are all descended from migrants and are migrants on earth until we reach our true home in heaven.
In Christ Jesus,
Msgr. J. Gaston Hebert, diocesan administrator
and diocesan consultors
Msgr. Scott Friend
Msgr. Jack Harris
Msgr. Bernard Malone
Msgr. Francis I. Malone
Msgr. Scott Marczuk
Msgr. John O’Donnell
