Again though, here is the text of the announcement:
Join us in celebrating Cesar E. Chavez’ legacy and commitment to the struggle for justice and dignity for all low-wage workers. The mass will be held on Sunday, March 25, 2007 at 3:30pm at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. The address is 555 West Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
Cardinal Roger Mahony will inspire and encourage our community to action on the issues that matter most to us:
• Recognition of the important contributions of immigrants in our society and their rights as human beings, and for comprehensive immigration reform
• Civic action for real political and social change.
• The plight of all farm workers, especially those affected by the recent citrus freeze.
• The continuous struggle for low-wage workers’ right to organize and healthcare for all.
There is not a single word in there about supporting illegal immigrants.
Cardinal Mahoney may indeed support a form of immigration reform that does include some kind of amnesty provision; I don’t know. But I do know that there are many knowledgeable Catholics who do support such a thing, including many bishops, and that there is nothing un-Catholic about it as Catholics are totally free to consider that there may be different ways to solve the problem.
That does NOT however translate into supporting illegal immigration. It only means that diiferent people may have different ideas about what to do about those who are already here. But nothing in this announcement says even that much, and certainly does not indicate a “support” for illegal immigration.
I’m not going to get into debates here about the best way to accomplish reform, as even the OP says that is not the intent of the thread. But as Geezerbob said early on, imputing motives to someone, when the actual announcement doesn’t support any such implication, is just wrong.
Chavez did in fact support better conditions for low wage workers. This announcement deals with support for low wage workers. It does not address supporting illegal workers so whether Chavez would or would not have supported that is irrelevant.
There are plenty of other threads to debate what kind of immigration reform might be “best”. Like a few others here though, I think the criticism leveled here as to the intent of the Cardinal is misplaced. Every item noted in that announcement is in accord with established Catholic teaching. There is no noted support for illegal immigration; only support for fair treatment of low wage workers.
Speculation on intent, to the point of condemning motives without proof of that intent, is nothing more than unfounded gossip, and sinful in itself since we are always called upon to give the benefit of the doubt in the absence of proof, as noted in that same catechism being quoted about lying.
Peace,