Many Catholics in Georgia and across the country are calling for a broad overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws as Congress is preparing to return to a full agenda in Washington this week.
Atlanta Archbishop Wilton Gregory and other top Catholic officials are lobbying congress members in support of a pathway to citizenship for immigrants living illegally in the U.S.
Citing Bible passages that they say encourage support for immigrants, some Catholics are preparing to bring attention to their cause in the coming days through prayers, pilgrimages and demonstrations.
Not everyone agrees on the issue and some point to passages in the Bible that they say support upholding the rule of the law.
The activism comes as Congress is set to return to Washington on Monday from its summer recess. Republican House leaders have indicated they want to take action on immigration legislation this fall. But their agenda has grown crowded with federal budget deliberations and a proposed military strike on Syria.
Some observers are speculating Congress won’t act on immigration until next year. Gregory is pushing for action sooner. He said creating a route to citizenship for illegal immigrants is “a matter of justice” as some of them fear for their safety or worry their families will be split up.
“Certainly, there are other issues of considerable weight,” said Gregory, who oversees the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta, which represents 69 North and Middle Georgia counties that are home to a million Catholics. “But if not now, when?”
Others disagree with using the pulpit to stake out positions on political issues.
“The pulpit is not a place for partisan politics,” said the Rev. Terrence Hall, rector at St. Hilda of Whitby Anglican Catholic Church in Atlanta.
James Todd, founder and editor of the online Catholic news site pewsitter.com, said Congress should focus on improving border security before dealing with immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.
“They have to start with securing the borders,” he said, “because it is not only immigration — it is terrorism concerns. And it is also the drug cartels and the whole drug scene down there.”
Evangelicals in Georgia and other states have also been clashing over congressional immigration legislation. The two sides differ in their interpretations of the Bible and are relying on church sermons, prayers and letter-writing campaigns to make their cases.
During his homily Sunday at Atlanta’s Cathedral of Christ the King, Deacon Gerald Zukauckas spoke in favor of offering a route to citizenship to illegal immigrants. He also urged parishioners to get involved in pushing for a floor vote on immigration legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. Christ the King is Atlanta’s Roman Catholic cathedral. Other Catholic churches across Georgia and around the nation were expected to deliver similar messages Sunday.
“Our moral tradition based upon our Catholic social justice calls on all people of faith and good will to stand up in defense of life and human dignity, just as we have for the sanctity of life from the moment of conception to natural death,” Zukauckas said.
Robert Williams, an airline pilot from Atlanta, was among several parishioners who said they agreed with Zukauckas’ message Sunday.
“This isn’t my land,” said Williams, who supports offering a pathway to citizenship for immigrants living illegally in the U.S. “This is God’s land. So we need to welcome each other. This is a nation of immigrants.”
In June, the Democratic-led Senate passed bipartisan immigration legislation. Senate Bill 744 aims to bolster border security, unclog the legal immigration system and provide a pathway to citizenship for an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants.
The GOP-controlled House has refused to take up that bill, dismissing it as “amnesty” legislation. House leaders have said they will instead consider more narrowly focused bills, some dealing with border security and interior enforcement. House Republicans have also discussed offering legal status to immigrants who were illegally brought here as young children.
Most white and Hispanic Catholics — 62 percent and 74 percent respectively — support providing a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants provided they meet certain requirements, according to a telephone poll of 4,465 adults conducted this year by the Public Religion Research Institute and the Brookings Institution.
Last month, Gregory sent letters urging Georgia’s congressmen to ask House leaders to bring immigration legislation to the floor for a vote.
“While I understand the House wants to consider legislation that differs from the Senate bill,” Gregory wrote, “that bill did have substantial bipartisan support and I urge you to look for a bipartisan approach in the House.”
Catholics make up almost a third of the House with 136 members, according to a January report by the Pew Research Religion & Public Life Project. Among the Catholics serving in the House is Republican U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey of Marietta. Gingrey – who received one of Gregory’s letters — opposes the Senate legislation.
“All people — regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, or legal status — should be treated with compassion, dignity, and respect,” Gingrey said through a spokeswoman. “At the same time, I believe that border enforcement must be the first step in addressing the complex issue of immigration.”
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