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President Obama Calls for Immigration Reform July 2nd, 2010

On July 1st President Obama spoke to the nation about immigration reform. He laid out the ways that the broken immigration system hurts millions of people across this country, and how the country can’t wait any longer for real reform. President Obama said passing national comprehensive immigration reform is going to take both Republicans and Democrats working together.

Missionary Oblates JPIC Applaud Immigration Speech. More can be done.

The Missionary Oblates JPIC office applauds President Obama’s commitment to immigration reform. President Obama’s speech on Immigration reform is a step in the right direction to fix the immigration system. However, there are actions that the Obama administration can take in the interim as we wait for Congress to act. Halting raids and deportations of undocumented immigrants (those without criminal records) would send a big signal of commitment to reform of the immigration system.

Fixing the broken immigration system is a top issue for a majority of Americans and they are frustrated with the political delay and inaction in Congress. Polling shows that a majority of Americans support comprehensive immigration reform which includes creating legal status for undocumented immigrants already in the country, securing the border and better managing future immigration.

What you can do to Support Immigration Reform:

Thousands of people of faith across the country are praying, fasting and serving as a public witness and nationwide solidarity with immigrants, particularly those living in Arizona. The Justice for Immigrants postcard campaign is an opportunity for you, your community and your parish to participate in the U.S. Catholic Bishops’ campaign for comprehensive immigration reform. You can find more information at the Justice for Immigrants website. This site has coverage of the JFI postcard campaign, as well as links for supporters to send electronic versions of the postcards to Senators and Representatives encouraging Congress to act.

Haiti : Vatican Radio Interview March 1st, 2010

In an interview with Vatican Radio,  Séamus Finn, OMI – Director of the US Oblate JPIC Office – talks about the situation in Haiti and  re-development needs of the devastated country. The Oblates are the largest male religious congregation in the country. In the interview, he touches on important Haitian realities: the poverty, the stranglehold of Haiti’s debt and a process for re-building.

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US Prelate Highlights Church’s Opposition to Nuclear Weapons February 18th, 2010

Archbishop Edwin O’Brien, a member of the U.S. Bishops’ Conference Committee on International Justice and Peace, reiterated the church’s opposition to nuclear weapons in an address to the Global Zero summit in Paris earlier this month. The gathering brought together 200 international leaders to develop strategies to eliminate nuclear weapons.

The archbishop underlined the Church’s moral teaching on nuclear weapons, based on its commitment to protect human life. Drawing on the principles of just war teaching, Archbishop O’Brien stated, “Nuclear war-fighting is rejected in Church teaching because it cannot ensure noncombatant immunity and the likely destruction and lingering radiation would violate the principle of proportionality.”

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Religious Leaders Issue Call for National Immigration Reform February 11th, 2010

Washington, DC

In an unprecedented show of religious support for just, humane, comprehensive immigration reform, religious leaders from across the theological and ideological spectrum and Members of Congress kicked off a nationwide mobilization for immigration reform today on a conference call with reporters.

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Lenten Carbon Fast 2010 February 10th, 2010

“The environment is God’s gift to everyone, and in our use of it we have a responsibility towards the poor, towards future generations and towards humanity as a whole.” — Pope Benedict, Encyclical Caritas in Veritate

A Lenten Carbon Fast calendar is available from the Environmental Outreach Committee of the Archdiocese of Washington. Please use it as part of your Lenten discipline.

The calendar says: “As Catholic Christians we have a responsibility to be wise stewards of God’s Creation and each of us must decide how we can improve our stewardship to safeguard God’s creation now and for future generations. The Archdiocese environmental Outreach Committee suggests the following list of 40 carbon fasting actions everyone can consider as a part of your Lenten preparation for the Easter season. Each of these actions will reduce our production of climate change pollution and help to preserve God’s great gift of Creation.”

Download a PDF of the Lenten Calendar here…

U.S. Suspends Deportations of Undocumented Haitians Due to Earthquake January 14th, 2010

In response to the devastating earthquake in Haiti, United States Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on January 13 that it is temporarily suspending deportations of all undocumented Haitians living in the United States. There was no immediate indication that the federal government would grant Haitian nationals needed Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

Temporary protected status is a special state granted to immigrants of certain nationalities who are unable to return to their countries because of armed conflict, environmental disasters, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Somalia refugees have been granted TPS.  Haiti clearly qualifies.

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