Vatican City, Oct 12, 2010 / 11:32 am
Catholic immigrants from Middle Eastern countries often come to the West harboring prejudices against Jews and Muslims, Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles told a special assembly of the world’s bishops Oct. 11.
“Often Middle Eastern Christians come to North America with attitudes and opinions toward both Muslims and Jews that are not in keeping with the Gospel or with the strides we have made in the Church’s relations with other religions,” Cardinal Mahony said in an address to the Vatican Synod of Bishops for the Middle East.
Cardinal Mahony said that in Los Angeles, Catholics must live “‘up close’ with peoples of many different faiths.” That requires sensitivity on the part of immigrants and, more importantly, a willingness to forgive.
“I have found that the biggest challenge we face with our immigrant peoples -- whether they be Middle Eastern Catholics or Vietnamese Catholics who have fled their country for southern California, or Cubans who have fled Cuba for the Miami shores -- is … to help them respond to the grace of giving witness to the Gospel by forgiving those enemies who quite often are the principal reason for their leaving their homeland to find peace and justice on our shores,” Cardinal Mahony said.