August 9, 2019
Raids, such as those conducted on Wednesday in the central part of Mississippi, only serve to, as
Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote last
month in a letter to President Trump, "cause the unacceptable suffering of thousands of children and
their parents, and create widespread panic in our communities." We, the undersigned, condemn such
an approach, which, as he rightly states, "has created a climate of fear in our parishes and communities
across the United States"
To say that immigration reform is a contentious and complex topic would be an understatement. As
Christians, within any disagreement we should all be held together by our baptismal promises. Our
baptism, regardless of denomination calls us to unity in Jesus Christ. We are his body and, therefore,
called to act in love as a unified community for our churches, and for the common good of our local
communities and nation. We can stand in solidarity to provide solace, material assistance and strength
for the separated and traumatized children, parents and families. Of course, we are committed to a just
and compassionate reform to our nation’s immigration system, but there is an urgent and critical need
at this time to avoid a worsening crisis.
We are grateful to all who are reaching out to help, and Catholic Charities is organized to directly assist
immigrant families.
You can donate to support this humanitarian cause at:
https://catholiccharitiesjackson.org/ and go to “August 7 ICE Raids” at the top right of the Website.
Thank you for your concern, prayers and generosity.
Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz
Catholic Diocese of Jackson
Bishop Louis F. Kihneman III
Catholic Diocese of Biloxi
Bishop Brian R. Seage
Episcopal Diocese of Jackson
Bishop James E. Swanson, Sr.
MS conference United Methodist Church
The Reverend H. Julian Gordy
Bishop, ELCA Southeastern Synod
Evangelical Lutheran Church of America
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