Our point, evidently missed by the Congressman, was that the U.S. Catholic Church has traditionally been an immigrant church, helping to settle and assimilate generations of Irish, Polish and Italian newcomers. The pope made a similar argument during his visit last week in separate remarks to U.S. educators. “Countless dedicated religious sisters, brothers and priests together with selfless parents have, through Catholic schools, helped generations of immigrants to rise from poverty and take their place in mainstream society,” he said.
To Lou Dobbs, another Tancredo-like compulsive, all of this amounted to the pope “insulting our country.” The CNN anchor said, “I really don’t appreciate the bad manners of a guest telling me in this country and my fellow citizens what to do.” You know the restrictionists have gone head-first into the fever swamps when they denounce a Christian religious leader for sounding like a Christian.
The pope welcomes immigrants because he’s Catholic, not because they are. He isn’t “marketing” his faith. He’s practicing it.
Good editorial. Superb conclusion.
I wish this “don’t meddle in our internal affairs” argument would go choke itself with a spork.
Christ did not come to tidy up the world around the edges. He is not a tame lion, nor should we expect a Christian leader like Pope Benedict to be one.
If Benedict is wrong about the substance of immigration policy, say so. But spare us a harangue about how he has no right to speak about it.
Lou Dobbs, who I’ve never seen before, came on TV yesterday and the channel was changed in about 2 minutes. Who ever he is, he’s obnoxious.