Bishop Edward J.Slattery criticizes new Oklahoma statute on illegal immigration as 'noble but misguided'
TULSA, Okla, Dec.09, 2007 (CINS /CNS) - The state lawmaker who wrote a new Oklahoma statute on illegal immigration that is considered one of the harshest such laws in the nation has said he plans to follow it up with "son of H.B. 1804" when the Legislature convenes in January.
The Oklahoma Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act of 2007, also known as H.B. 1804, took effect Nov. 1.
Republican State Rep. Randy Terrill also said Tulsa Bishop Edward J. Slattery's Nov. 26 pastoral letter concerning the law was "noble but misguided."
Terrill said Catholic leaders oppose the law because "the fastest-growing parishes in Catholicism are non-English-speaking" and that "a good portion" of their congregations "are illegal aliens."
His remarks were quoted in the Nov. 29 Tulsa World daily newspaper. The following day, Bishop Slattery told a news conference he has been advised by attorneys that the new law is unconstitutionally vague and will not withstand scrutiny in the federal courts.
"It'll be too late by then," he said, noting that many immigrants, legal as well as illegal, have already fled the state and are continuing to flee.
"The law is designed to put fear in the people so they will leave, and they are. The law is working," Bishop Slattery said.
It makes it a felony to knowingly harbor or transport an illegal alien and creates specific barriers to hiring illegal immigrants. It requires proof of citizenship to obtain certain government benefits and requires all state agencies and contractors to check the immigration status of all workers after July 1, 2008.
The bishop's pastoral is titled "The Suffering Faces of the Poor Are the Suffering Face of Christ" ("Los rostros sufrientes de los pobres son el rostro sufriente de Cristo").
It calls for equal accessibility to all Catholic programs regardless of legal status, and pledges to provide legal assistance through Catholic Charities to those who need help in establishing or maintaining their legal residence in this country.
It says the diocese will work with legal agencies to prepare a standardized "power of attorney" form that parents can use to indicate who should assume guardianship over their dependent children should those parents be arrested and face deportation. It also will provide Catholic foster care for parents who have formally indicated who should care for their children.
In his press conference remarks Nov. 30, he said Terrill "didn't do his homework" when the representative told the Tulsa World that the diocesan Catholic Charities agency receives some taxpayer money. "Let's call a spade a spade," the lawmaker said.
But the same story quoted Kevin Sartorius, an official with Catholic Charities of the Tulsa Diocese, who pointed out that federal funding accounts for less than 2 percent of the agency's budget, and none of it is used to benefit illegal immigrants.
Bishop Slattery said Catholic Charities receives $48,000 to resettle refugees who are brought to the diocese by federal officials and another $15,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for emergency food distribution.
"I wonder on how many other things he didn't do his homework," Bishop Slattery said.
The bishop reiterated his long-standing view that immigration reform is desperately needed, and it must come at the federal level. He predicted reform will come but not until after the '08 elections. He also said he believes the immigration system's multiple problems will be addressed no matter who wins the election.
Politicians do not have "strong enough character" to address the inequities if it is going to cost them votes, he said. "It's a lack of courage. No one wants to lead anymore."
He said H.B. 1804 or any subsequent legislation that denies such fundamental rights as citizenship being granted to all people born in the Unites States or makes English the official state language -- both possibilities floated by Terrill -- simply will not stand constitutional muster.
"There is no good argument for the law," the bishop said. "Yes, they are in this country illegally, but we cannot send them back; there are too many. That can't happen. The borders need to be closed off. But this law is not the answer. It (causes) a lot of unnecessary suffering."
And, he added, "states shouldn't be allowed to set their own immigration policy."
Myanmar's bishops: Cut down on parties, focus on promoting peace
Yangon, Myanmar, Dec.07, 2007 (CINS /CNS) -- Bishops in Myanmar have called on Catholics to cut down on external celebrations of Advent and Christmas this year and focus on promoting peace and development. Archbishops Paul Zinghtung Grawng of Mandalay and Charles Bo of Yangon, president and general secretary, respectively, of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Myanmar, issued the message on behalf of Myanmar's bishops. The message was dated Dec. 3, reported the Asian church news agency UCA News. In September, the government cracked down on protests -- led by Buddhist monks -- against rising prices and corruption. Myanmar is a predominantly Buddhist country. In the message sent to all parishes, the bishops proposed that the church "observe the season of Advent and celebrate the feast of Christmas more in accordance with the spirit of prayer and penance." The bishops' conference issued the message after a meeting in Yangon Nov. 30.New Archbishop of Guangzhou: “Also in China the Church is One and Catholic”
Guangzhou, China, Dec.05,2007(CINS/AsiaNews) – The Catholic Church, even in China is “one holy Catholic and apostolic”. It was underlined by the new archbishop of Guangzhou, Msgr. Joseph Gan Junqiu, and minutes before he gave his parting blessing to the faithful who had gathered in Sacred Heart Cathedral to participate in his ordination. Local sources who took part in the celebrations described the event to AsiaNews.
The solemn mass took place this morning in the “House of Stone”, the great cathedral that lies in the centre of the city. Press and faithful from other diocese were not allowed attend due to “lack of space”. About 900 people participated, each given an admission pass with the number of the pew assigned to them as well as their position within the same pew.
A” massive” police presence as well as members of the Patriotic Association of Chinese Catholics [PA, a government organism not recognised by the Holy See, which interferes in the life of the church and tries to impose its own bishops on diocese without Vatican consensus ed], were there, “to keep an eye on all of the people gathered in the square for the duration of the mass”.
Despite this climate, Msgr. Gan took advantage of the moment in which the congregation exchanged the sign of peace to come down from the altar, leave the cathedral and make his way to a room close by the Church, where other Catholics were following the mass via a giant screen. There he embraced the only foreigners who were present in a sign of communion with the Universal Church.
Catholics from the Archdiocese of Guangzhou place a lot of hope in their new pastor. They tell AsiaNews, that he “has an open heart and mind and is held in high esteem by many people. He does not love compromise, but he knows how to find balance there where it is often difficult to put tolerance into practise. All of this costs him dearly and shows his deep love for his people and for the Church, which is universal. We have been without a pastor for far too long and this grace from God has made us very, very happy”.
Msgr. Gan was elected archbishop in November 2006. Immediately after his election, he received Holy See approval and communicated this to the local faithful. Thanks to the obstructionism of the PA who did not view this public declaration of loyalty to the Pope kindly, his ordination was blocked until today.
Korean Bishops: Understanding Dynamism of Christian Life
Vatican City, Dec. 03, 2007 (CINS /VIS) - Benedict XVI today received prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea and the apostolic prefect of Ulaanbaator, Mongolia, who have just completed their "ad limina" visit. Their coming to Rome, the Pope observed in his talk, has helped to strengthen "the bonds of collegiality which express the Church's unity in diversity and safeguard the tradition handed down by the Apostles."
Continuing his English-language address to the prelates, the Holy Father spoke positively of the growth of the Church in Asia, recalling how the testimony of Korean martyrs and of many others on the continent "speaks eloquently of the fundamental concept of 'communio' that unifies and vivifies ecclesial life in all its dimensions."
"To remain in Christ's love also has a particular significance for you today," the Pope told the Korean bishops, who in their reports had highlighted the negative effects of a secularist mentality. And he encouraged them to "to be effective shepherds of hope," striving "to ensure that the bond of communion which unites Christ to all the baptized is safeguarded and experienced as the heart of the mystery of the Church."
"The gateway to this mystery of communion with God is of course Baptism. This sacrament of initiation - far more than a social ritual or welcome into a particular community - is the initiative of God. Those reborn through the waters of new life enter the door of the universal Church and are drawn into the dynamism of the life of faith."
"The word 'communio' also refers of course to the Eucharistic center of the Church. ... The Eucharist roots our understanding of the Church in the intimate encounter between Jesus and humanity and reveals the source of ecclesial unity: Christ's act of giving Himself to us makes us His body."
Benedict XVI told the bishops that "programs designed to highlight the importance of Sunday Mass should be infused with a sound and stimulating catechesis on the Eucharist. This will foster a renewed understanding of the authentic dynamism of Christian life among your faithful."
He continued his address to the prelates: "I encourage you to ensure that religious are welcomed and supported in their efforts to contribute to the common task of spreading God's Kingdom." By sharing the "living treasures" of their spirituality with the laity, religious "will help to dispel the notion that communion means mere uniformity."
The Pope then went on to consider "the importance of the promotion of marriage and family life in your region," recalling how, in this "vital apostolate, ... the growing complexity of matters regarding the family ... raises the question of providing appropriate training for those committed to working in this area."
"I am also aware of the practical gestures of reconciliation undertaken for the wellbeing of those in North Korea. I encourage these initiatives and invoke Almighty God's providential care upon all North Koreans," the Holy Father concluded. "Throughout the ages, Asia has given the Church and the world a host of heroes of the faith. ... May they stand as perennial witnesses to the truth and love which all Christians are called to proclaim."
Rudd election buoys Bishops' Reconciliation hopes
Australia, Dec.03, 2007 (CINS /CNS) - Australia's Catholic Bishops have issued a statement reflecting the hope that "Indigenous Australia will be listened to", on the back of Prime Minister Elect Kevin Rudd's acceptance speech.Acknowledging the traditional custodians of Australia, the Bishops say they affirm their respect for the elders, memories, traditions, culture and hopes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
“The Catholic Church in Australia, as always, looks forward to working in partnership with the new government and with indigenous communities to improve the situation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples throughout the nation, the statement stated.
“Earlier this year we welcomed the high priority that the Federal Government placed on addressing disadvantage in remote Northern Territory Aboriginal communities.
“However, we also emphasised that there is much more to be done to address fundamental causes of entrenched disadvantage.”
The Bishops' statement addresses a number of areas for action which include: tackling child abuse, poverty, housing, substance abuse and employment.
“Any response must be designed and implemented to take into account the particular circumstances of different communities.
“We now urge the Federal Government to pursue the even more challenging task of addressing the underlying causes of disadvantage in our indigenous communities.
“In this way the healing process required at the heart of our nation can be furthered.”
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