It was just a little over a month ago that we Catholic Christians celebrated a very important day of celebration within our Latino and specifically Mexican community, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. On that day all of the Roman Catholic Bishops here in the State of California, myself included, issued a brief statement entitled, Am I not here, I who am your mother?
That title is attributed to words spoken by Our Lady to Juan Diego, the other key character in the Guadalupe event, who was in need of comfort while dealing with his own doubts and fears.
Our statement was directed toward some of our brothers and sisters today who are also dealing with much fear as a result of their immigration status. It was also directed toward those who might be the cause of such fear, not to mention still others who may be able to do something about it.
Our statement was issued at a most opportune moment and prophetically speaks about Challenges that may arise that are not yet clear. It seems as if some of those challenges have in fact made themselves all too clear now, especially given what has recently happened in and around Kern County and other areas of our Central Valley.
The Border Patrol has been present and active in our Valley. I saw them myself, patrolling along the 99 corridor, in several of our neighborhoods, in our fields of harvest and outside places of business.
It seemed as if we took a step back as a society, and the old days of immigration sweeps were upon us once again. Our people are being asked to produce proof of citizenship, and it seems as if the request is based on how they look and how they speak.
That is not, by way of example, going after hardened criminals or drug dealers which, I hope, none of us would take exception to.
It is going after people who, rightly or wrongly, were allowed to cross a border and who are now being subjected to tactics that are causing much fear and anxiety among my people. It is an insult to human dignity, and it is simply wrong.
I, and my fellow Bishops along with other community partners here in the Central Valley, will continue to serve as trusted resources for those in need of assistance or who simply need to have some questions answered in these difficult and for some, dangerous times. In fact, a preliminary list of resources may be found at www.cacatholic.org/immigration.
Let me conclude with another quote from our bishops’ document which, although directed to our parishes and Catholic community really applies and appeals to us all:
The disarray at our border cannot be allowed to continue. We pray with you that any enacted policies restore a sense of security and peace for citizens as well as those seeking to find a home in this blessed land. To achieve that end, policies must reflect empathy and solicitude, with due regard for the rights of children and those fleeing violent and impoverished countries, while ceasing to provide respite for serious offenders.
I believe that this is something we could all agree upon and something we can all work toward.
