The newly elected chairman of the US bishops’ committee on immigration defended the bishops’ advocacy for immigrants, while acknowledging differences of opinion among American Catholics, in an interview with the National Catholic Register.
Bishop Brendan Cahill of Victoria, Texas, said that he hopes American Catholic “will have moved beyond talking past one another and toward a deeper unity rooted in the Gospel: unity that allows for reasonably disagreement without losing sight of the dignity of immigrants.”
Bishop Cahill recognized problems posed by illegal immigration. But he said: “A system that relies primarily on mass or sweeping deportation as its solution fails to reflect the balance of mercy that our faith demands and our nation’s history warrants.” He argued that deportation is warranted only when it is humane, allows for due process, respects family integrity, and offers special protection to the vulnerable.
Bishop Cahill revealed that the US bishops have “begun undertaking dialogue” with the Trump administration on the immigration issue.