Last modified: Saturday, October 18, 2008 2:39 AM EDT Local columnist: Challenging issue: Immigration and human rights BY REV. JOHN SULLIVAN FOR THE SUN CHRONICLE The national immigration debates that have been going on for several months have slipped from the front-page news recently because of the economic crisis in the stock market. However, new attention was given to this discussion in August when the Roman Catholic Bishop of Providence, Bishop Thomas Tobin, called on federal immigration officials to stop the mass arrests of suspected illegal immigrants, saying the raids had cast a "pall of fear" across the state, and tore families and communities apart. In the Providence Journal on Aug. 22, the bishop wrote a letter, also signed by 15 of his priests, stating: "What we have witnessed is that the police action of ICE (Immigration and Custom Enforcement Agency) against immigrants has divided the community, instilled fear in our streets, disrupted the every day life of good people and separated family members, innocent of any crime, from one another. The secretive detention of those arrested has further complicated the situation." He went on to explain that "we recognize a lot of them are here illegally but keep in mind that many of them are here because the system itself is broken. ... Certainly the laws of the land must be enforced. But "God's Law" must also be followed." The reaction to the bishop's letter was quick in coming. Many people were angry at the bishop, saying that he was wrong to enter into such a political situation since it did not respect the separation of church and state. Such comments reflect an ignorance of the Scriptures, where love of God and love of neighbor are inseparately connected. The parable of the Good Samaritan is only one of many references that could be made here (Luke 10: 25-37). If the truth be told, we must take into account the prejudice that is still very prevalent in our country. Since Bishop Tobin's letter, many other religious leaders, both Catholic and Protestant, have come out in opposition to the raids on the undocumented, seeking a moratorium until Congress can enact immigration reform. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which is a summation of the basic Catholic doctrine, in the section on social justice, it states: "Respect for the human person entails respect for the rights that flow from his dignity as a creature. These rights are prior to society and must be recognized by it. They are the basis of the moral legitimacy of every authority: by flouting them or refusing to recognize them in its positive legislation, a society undermines its own moral legitimacy" (paragraph 1930). It is so important that we grow beyond an "us-against-them" mentality, but rather see God's design in which each person is recognized as an image of God with an undeniable dignity. Excessive nationalism or a false sense of patriotism does much to separate people from one another instead of seeking the common good by which we strive for unity amidst our many cultural differences. To work for immigration reform for people of all faiths and cultures is a very difficult and complicated challenge. The Catechism quote mentioned above gives us much to reflect on when it says: "Respect for the human person proceeds by way of respect for the principle that 'everyone should look upon his neighbor as another self' above all bearing in mind his life and the means necessary for living it with dignity." Oct. 25 program planned at LaSalette Shrine Concerning this challenging topic, there will be a special program offered at the La Salette National Shrine in Attleboro on Saturday, Oct. 25 from 1 to 4 p.m. in the new Welcome Center. The theme is entitled "Welcoming the Stranger: a Pax Christi Dialogue on Immigration." The program will consist of a film on the difficulty of the undocumented laborers in California, a panel discussion, followed by an opportunity for questions. The people on the panel will include representatives of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, Comprehensive Social Services of Attleboro, and the Diocese of Providence Office of Immigration and Refugee Services. There is no admittance fee but a freewill offering is welcomed. It will be an excellent opportunity to grow in one's awareness of the immigration question, both in its difficulties but also its signs of hope. The Rev. John Sullivan is a priest at the LaSalette Shrine in Attleboro, where he has served as a staff member for the last four years. He specializes in working with the various ethnic groups who come to the shrine for pilgrimages, especially the Hispanic population based on his experience in South America.