Atlanta Catholic church calls for immigration overhaul
Atlanta’s Cathedral of Christ the King joined a nationwide Catholic campaign Sunday in calling for an overhaul of the nation’s immigration system and a pathway to citizenship for immigrants living illegally in the U.S.
Deacon Gerald Zukauckas delivered Sunday’s homily, urging parishioners to get involved in pushing for a floor vote on immigration legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. Catholic churches across the nation were expected to deliver similar messages at Masses 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,” Zukauckas said, “just as we have for the sanctity of life from the moment of conception to natural death.”
In June, the Democratic-led Senate passed bipartisan immigration legislation that would offer a 13-year route to citizenship for illegal immigrants. The GOP-controlled House has so far refused to take up that legislation, dismissing it as an “amnesty bill.” House leaders said they will instead consider smaller bills, some dealing with border security, interior enforcement and possibility a route to legal status for immigrants who were illegally brought here as children.
Congress is set to return to Washington from its summer recess Monday.
About the Author
Jeremy Redmon is an award-winning journalist, essayist and educator with more than three decades of experience reporting for newspapers. He has written for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 2005.
