The Cathoholic

Arizona Immigration Law Blocked: A Win for the Catholic Bishops

A U.S. District Court in Phoenix recently blocked most of the key measures of Arizona's controversial immigration law. Last week, I reported on the U.S. bishops' equally controversial stance on immigration reform.

“The Arizona law is the result of growing levels of frustration and fear that have developed within the state,” acknowledged Bishop Gerald Kicanas of Tucson, who also serves as the U.S. bishops’ conference’s vice president. “But the bishops of Arizona do not believe this bill is the answer. The real answer is comprehensive immigration policy at the federal level.”

Still, the Arizona immigration law remains widely popular--in the state and across the country. The bishops need to do more to advance their case. Cardinal Roger Mahoney of Los Angles offered his thoughts on the court decision and suggested that most Americans want an "all-inclusive" approach to this complex issue  Meanwhile, Republican Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona suggested during a recent interview that he would go in a very different direction from the Los Angles cardinal. Kyl believes it's time for the Senate to review this question: Should children of parents who are illegal immigrants be "rewarded" with U.S. citizenship just because they were born in this country? We know where the bishops stand on this question, but are they getting the answer out to their flock...in a convincing manner?

Immigration Reform Conundrum

Just wrote a piece for the National Catholic Register on  Catholics and Immigration Reform. While researching the article, I discovered that the U.S. bishops may be forced to back down from their long-term support for comprehensive immigration reform. Two Immigration bills -- one introduced by Rep. Mike Honda, and Sen. Patrick Leahy have embraced the issue of family reunification as a platform for advancing the status of same-sex unions. The Catholic Church plays a key role in the pro-reform coalition, and now its even more fundamental commitment to Catholic moral teaching on marriage and family life will be sorely tested.