Pastoral Message aired on KNXT-TV during June 2006
My dear people of God,
The few letters I have received speaking against the teaching of the Church and the stand of the Church for comprehensive immigration reform, mainly mimic the simplistic language of so many TV and radio hosts and a number of politicians who say repeatedly that those who are here illegally are criminals and law breakers, and should not be rewarded for breaking the law, by regulating their presence in the United States.
I want to emphasize the vast majority of those in this country who are undocumented are honest and hard working people, who have come here to better their lives and the lives of their families. We must not lose perspective that they are our brothers and sisters in Christ and that the way we speak of them and treat them is the way we speak and treat our Lord Jesus Himself. “Whatever you do for the least of my brethren you do for me.”
The immigration law, which they have broken, is outdated and impractical law, and simply does not work. The immigration problem is much more complex than presented by so many TV and radio hosts, and so many of our politicians.
Before condemning a whole class of good, hardworking and honest people in our midst by referring to them as criminals and lawbreakers, we should reflect a little on some of those classified as criminals and lawbreakers by others in history and especially in the history of our own country. All the early Christian martyrs were killed because they disobeyed the law of the Roman emperors. They were criminals and lawbreakers. All the Founders of our Country were criminals and lawbreakers against the realm of England, because they believed in inalienable rights given by God. Those who ran the Underground Railroad during the days of slavery were criminals and law-breakers. Those who participated in so many marches and sit-ins in the Civil Rights movement in our country were criminals and law-breakers. It is those criminals and lawbreakers who believed in the greater law of God that have made our country the great country that it is. Also, I might add that one of the major accusations against Jesus when He was in this world was that He was a lawbreaker and that he socialized with lawbreakers.
Jesus speaks to us of a higher law and the Church continues to speak of that higher law, which comes to us from God. There is a big difference between human law and God’s law. Basic God given human rights takes precedence over outdated, impractical and unjust human laws. One cannot rightly condemn a person who breaks an unjust and impractical law which would hamper that person from supporting his family and who is living a morally good life in our country. As important as Law is, it has often been used in the history of the world and in the history of our country to abuse the rights of others for the benefit and profit of a few, not always to protect and bring justice to all.
Rather than condemning hard working God-fearing people, as criminals, we should seek to correct the unjust and impractical laws, which are responsible for the situation in which we find ourselves. It is the law of God and human rights that come from God that should be the basis and cornerstone for just and humane laws. I beg all of you, God’s people, to pray often during these days of such great polarization in our country, that our legislators look to the Wisdom, Justice and Love of God to guide them in their decisions.
May God continue to bless and guide you all.