Washington D.C., Jul 28, 2005 / 22:00 pm
The current U.S. immigration system is “morally unacceptable,” said Bishop Gerald Barnes of San Bernardino.
The chairman of the Migration Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) made this comment when he outlined the USCCB’s recommendations for immigration reform in a testimony submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“The Catholic Church holds a strong interest in the welfare of immigrants and how our nation welcomes newcomers from all lands,” said Bishop Barnes. “The current immigration system, which can lead to family separation, suffering, and even death, is morally unacceptable and must be reformed.”
Citing a long history of Catholic social teaching on migration, including a historic joint pastoral letter by the bishops of the United States and Mexico in 2003, Bishop Barnes noted that the Church’s interest in migrants “stems from the belief that every person is created in God’s image.”