Ask anyone in our Catholic pews if he or she believes that God is the Father of all; the answer would be affirmative.  Ask if Jesus is brother to all; the answer would be affirmative.  Ask if Jesus came to save all people (not just the Jews, not just men, not just believers); the answer would be affirmative.  Ask if God’s love is meant for all; the answer would be affirmative.  And surely these affirmative answers would come from the majority, if not all, Christians.

Yet, somehow these affirmations are missing when we speak of immigrants in our country.  Somehow, the humanity of the immigrant is lost when we speak of legalities.  Brotherhood does not enter into the discussion.  The laws of the country seem to take precedence over the law of Love.

Catholics can be proud of the official Church in the US that strives to keep the nation cognizant of the issues of humanity and justice and human rights in the forefront of immigration discussion.  Yet, Catholics can become confused at all the rhetoric tossed around unthinkingly in the media and in general conversations.  Our US Bishops offer guidance as well as a thorough understanding of all the issues involved when we speak of the immigration issue in our country and of the need for immigration law reform.

Our brothers and sisters who live among us are often unknown to us, and we run the risk of not recognizing them as our brothers and sisters if we are ignorant of the issues.  When we become informed, we grow in our humanity and we are better able to discuss the issues intelligently.  Please link to these websites for better understanding of the need for immigration law reform: