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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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Pope Calls for Greater Environmental Commitment in World Day of Peace Address December 17th, 2009

Pope Benedict called for greater environmental commitment in his message for the Roman Catholic Church’s annual World Day of Peace, to be marked on Jan 1 and whose theme is “If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation”

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Immigration Reform Can Wait No Longer – Archbishop José Gomez of San Antonio December 1st, 2009

In September 2009, Archbishop José Gomez of San Antonio, Texas, representing the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, led a delegation of Hispanic Bishops to the United States Congress where they met with House and Senate legislators from both sides of the aisle. The delegation discussed a variety of issues such as health care, immigration and education, but also principles of Catholic social teaching that could help inform the current debates.

An important topic raised by the Bishops in the meetings with legislators was the need for immigration reform. Writing in the San Antonio Archdiocesan paper, Today’s Catholic, Rev. Jose H. Gomez says “Immigration reform can wait no longer.” The article is also available in Spanish: Por qué una reforma migratoria no puede esperar mas

Bishops of G8 Nations Call On Their Leaders to Assist the Poor in Developing Nations July 1st, 2009

The Catholic Bishop’s Conferences from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, Scotland and USA are urging their leaders, members of the Group of Eight (G8) major industrialized countries, to adopt a set of shared actions designed to protect and assist poor people in developing nations who are suffering from the economic meltdown.

The appeal is contained in a joint statement to the G8 summit 2009, the next meeting of which takes place in Italy on July 8-14. The bishops’ letter refers to an earlier message from Pope Benedict XVI addressed to a G20 meeting where the Holy Father called for more development aid to poor countries. The Pope remonstrated that poor nations did not generate the crisis hence should not be its victims.

Following is the full text of the letter

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Peruvian Bishops Support Strike by Indigenous Peoples in the Amazon May 21st, 2009

Nine Peruvian Bishops issued a statement supporting the demands of indigenous peoples of the Amazon for an end to the natural resource exploitation that is destroying the region. The indigenous peoples are calling for the Peruvian Government to respect their human rights over those of big business.

Read their statement (Download PDF)

The Christian faith is alive in the desert of Baluchistan. June 23rd, 2008

This article on the Catholic Church in Baluchistan, Pakistan is based on an interview with Mons. Victor Gnanapragasam OMI, the Apostolic Prefect of Quetta, Pakistan

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