Bishop Wester addresses immigration with parishioners

Intermountain Catholic

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Michael O'Shea, president of the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, introduces the Most Rev. John C. Wester, Bishop of Salt Lake City, prior to his talk on immigration at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. IC photo/Marie Mischel

SANDY — Immigration remains a hot topic, as both the Most Rev. John C. Wester, Bishop of Salt Lake City, and Michael O’Shea, president of the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, said at the beginning of a two-hour presentation at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church on Oct. 1.

When O’Shea asked Bishop Wester to speak, she told him, "You may not change any minds, but we need good information so we can make better decisions," she said, adding that she hoped those who attended would emerge knowing that "there is so much more we need to do to make people feel welcome in our church and in our communities."

Bishop Wester opened his comments by saying that immigration is an important question, not only in the Catholic Church but in the United States and in the world. "But it’s also a very volatile question, a very polarizing question, an issue that creates a lot of passion and a lot of reactions," he said.

The Scriptures, papal teaching and bishops’ documents all address immigration in one way or another, he pointed out.

"Obviously, much of what the Church holds on immigration is grounded in the principals of the dignity of the human person," he said. "This is a political issue all right, but it’s more than that. It’s a human issue, it’s a moral issue. Frankly, that’s the main reason why the Church is involved. If it were simply political or simply legal, the Church would not be involved, it would be up to the state."

Because the issue is so polarizing, finding a common ground to start with is important, the bishop said, adding that people on both sides of the issue need to be fair in their discussions and presume that others are acting in good faith.

Also, "It’s important for us to recognize that we have a responsibility to portray our point of view clearly," he said. "We owe that to those who disagree with us."

Bishop Wester outlined the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ position on immigration: They advocate an earned path to legalization for those in the U.S. illegally, want reform to include a temporary worker program, and ask that reforms prioritize reunion of families, and that judges be given back the right to make decisions in immigration cases.

In addition, the root causes of immigration need to be addressed, whether they are economic, political or religious, he said.

Where immigration reform gets problematic, he said, is how to apply the law.

"The Church does not encourage people to break the law," Bishop Wester said. "We do not encourage people to come here without proper documentation."

However, if laws aren’t just, they need to be changed, he said. "We can’t benefit from the sweat equity of our immigrants and then not provide them the protection of the law and the basic human rights that they have."

Many undocumented workers haven’t committed a felony, he pointed out, comparing them to those who break traffic laws. "When I was coming down here today, I was on I-15, there were a lot of illegals on I-15," he said.

As for what individuals can do about the matter, he urged those at the meeting to ask the Lord what their responsibility is as a Catholic.

"We need to be a voice for immigrants because often they can’t speak for themselves," he said. "Jesus said, ‘As often as you do it for the least of my brethren you do it for me,’ and in many ways the immigrants – especially the undocumented immigrants – in our county are the least of our brethren."

After his comments, Bishop Wester spent nearly an hour answering questions about many aspects of immigration, from the possibility of Congress reconsidering the DREAM Act to the reasons why immigrants don’t learn to speak English.

Those who attended the talk came for various reasons. Jackie Harover and Paula Marine, both parishioners of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Salt Lake City, hoped to learn how to help those whom they serve as Ladies of Charity. Nevertheless, Harover said she was ambivalent about the issue of immigration reform because she feels that the process may reward undocumented workers at the expense of those who for years have been waiting in line to immigrate legally. She also wonders "if we can legitimately take care of all the people who are coming," she said.

Becky Colombo, a parishioner at Saint Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Layton and a DCCW officer, said she was glad she attended because Bishop Wester talked about aspects of immigration that she hadn’t been aware of, such as the obstacles facing Congress.

"I especially liked the point that he made when he said everybody’s an illegal because of speeders, because that’s one of the things that I’m going to say the next time somebody argues with me," Colombo said.

Likewise, Saint Rose of Lima parishioner Donna Kushlan, another DCCW officer, learned some things from the presentation. "I thought it was very interesting," she said. "A real eye-opener, because I was very much against what I thought was the Catholic viewpoint, and he brought forth a lot ideas that I agree with."

However, "I still think they should learn to speak English," she said. "They’re in America. If they want to mix with the Americans, they’ve got to learn the language."