What seems to be happening across the United States on this issue is that we are focussing on our interests more than on the Gospel commands. We seem to miss the example of Jesus. When he stood before Pilate, he was not disrespectful. When he stood before the high priest he was not disrespectful. These men were doing something very wrong. However, Jesus treated them with respect. It is this respect that the Bishops are demanding from our authorities toward the irregular immigrant.
I’m using the term irregular immigrant, because it is the term that the Holy See itself has chosen to use for those whom we call illegal immigrants or illegal aliens. The Holy See seems to have a problem with the term illegal, since often times what appears to be illegal is morally necessary. The law of God and the Church must take precedence.
To conclude, I believe that we must focus our attention on what the Bishops’ are really denouncing. They are not denouncing immigration laws. They are denouncing the treatment of irregular immigrants. Francis of Assisi raised a good question for cases such as this. Are we really interested in seeing people treated as Christ should be treated or are we more interested in protecting the goods that we have received on loan from God and which do not really belong to us in the first place, but were given to us to be shared with the world?
I believe the Bishops’ are leading us down the path of the Gospel. We need to put aside our interest in the things that do not belong to us and take notice that our brothers and sisters are being treated in a shameful manner that is incompatible with the Gospel. We cannot allow it to happen, just because we want to protect what we do not own. Ultimately, it is the duty of Bishops to interpret the Gospel and to apply it to daily life and the responsibility of the faithful to follow the guidance of the successors of the Apostles.
If the successors of the Apostles say that something is inconsistent with the Gospel and that the government must find another way, it becomes the duty of every believer to press the government to comply. It is not our role to justify the government creating a juxtaposition between the Church and State or between faith and patriotism. Faith comes first. Without faith, there is no such thing as patriotism, only selfishness.
What we have has nothing to do with how others are being treated. As Saint Francis says, if we have to sacrifice every material possession that we have to make sure that God is loved and served properly then that’s the sacrifice that we have to make. The Gospel is not easy, but God will never lead us to a place where his grace will not support us. We must face the issue of inhumane treatment of others, even if the law allows it. This is an end that does not justify the means. The law was made for man, not man for the law.
The great Franciscan lawyer and statesman, Thomas Moore went to his death because he refused to disobey the bishops in order to protect the interest of the King and the nation. At the end of his trial he said, “I die a faithful subject of the King and a true son of the Church.”
This discussion seems to lean more toward our rights and our property, our taxes and our systems, but what about our Gospel and our Church? When are we going to say that the Bishops have authority and their authority overrules that of the State whenever the State acts contrary to the Gospel? Very few people have said that on this thread. Very few people have said, “I’m Catholic first and American second.” If the Apostles say that something is wrong and needs to change then we must stand behind that statement, just as the early Christians stood behind the first generation Apostles.
Fraternally,R
JR, No one is straying from the subject. You are not honestly facing the entire issue.
What would Our Lord say in regard to these victims of illegals who have intentionally violated our sovereignty? Please go to this link and read a few of the stories behind innocent Americans who have been raped and murdered by illegals.
immigrationshumancost.org/text/crimevictims.html
What is the ethical price of standing by, doing nothing, to stop this invasion while our fellow human beings are being abused, raped and murdered? We will have to answer for that.
As the analogy above tried to demonstrate and which you are completely ignoring, if someone breaks into your house, rapes and murders your family…if I stand by and do nothing to try and stop another such invasion, am I morally responsible? Of course.
Also, JR, be careful not to confuse a contemporary Bishop’s statement with the long consensus of Tradition in regards to faith and morals.
Joan of Arc could have used a few Catholics willing to disagree with her Bishop in regard to her status as a heretic. It took years for the church to confess its sin in killing her.
What would you have thought of laymen who were standing up against the lack of action and culpability in the child abuse sins of the church back in the 1950’s or 60’s?
What would Our Lord expect of us in that controversy?
No one is saying that ICE raids should abuse human beings, but that is hardly the main problem right now, compared to the millions of Americans who are being adversely effected by
their “original” sin of crossing a sovereign border.
So, the Bishop’s statement about abuse of illegals automatically makes an intellectually honest individual address the core of the problem, ie., the terrible price these “home invaders” are exacting on an innocent population of fellow Christians. What is our responsibility to our fellow Christians? Are the Bishops in some way culpable for encouraging illegal immigration, which ends up ruining for ever fellow American’s lives? What is their motivation? This is not the same as the TRADITION of Catholic faith and morals. Yes, JR, even Popes have been dead wrong at certain times in history. Are we required to conform our will to their error? No, Our Lord, wants us to listen to HIM, then we will have
discernment to be able to tell when the institutional church is in error.
It is not a sin, JR, to disagree with the Bishops, yes, even the Holy See, in regard to ethical issues of conscience. My eyes, as a Catholic are fixed on Our Lord, first and foremost. Obviously, I agree with the long Tradition of the Church, with a capital “T” but that does not relinquish my reguirement as a Christian to face head on contemporary ethical and moral issues, intellectually and volitionally, with my attention on Our Lord; then, I will address whether the institutional church is in allignment with the mystical Body of Christ.
This is the ONLY way to avoid such serious errors that historically have led to aggregious sins on the part of the human beings supposedly representing Christ in the Church. If I take the lazy way out, and just say, oh, well, the Bishops say “x” is right, so now, I don’t have to think about it; I have gravely sinned.
Church history is full of examples where good people stood by and did nothing when the church was dead wrong.
Each individual soul will be called to account by Our Lord, He’s going to ask each of us, why we didn’t stand up to truth at various moments in our life. And, sometimes those moments might concern sin within the church. We are no less culpable, our eyes should be on Christ. If the contemporary church is in error, it will be righted, in time, but that does not excuse our requirement to stand with Jesus at all times.
No, JR,
I’m Christ’s first and then an American. To do otherwise is to allign yourself with horrible instances through history where the human sin in the Church has turned against Christ.
Remember, Our Lord’s admonitions to the Phairsees. They were the Churchmen of the time and He was a Jew in good standing, but He gave us the example, God comes first, then, IF the institutional church is in agreement, fine; if not, beware who you stand with!
