I have sometimes taken exception to the opinions of various American Catholic prelates on matters of public policy (including on immigration ). Even some of my favorite bishops, such as Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver, have occasionally disappointed. But today's Zenit interview (March 1 Daily Dispatch, "Immigration Schizophrenia") with Denver's ordinary on the subject of immigration reminds me why I admire him. He combines a keen sense of pastoral responsibility with a realistic appreciation of the given situation and the available alternatives. Here are two samples:
Many Latino immigrants neither want nor plan to settle here. They want to work for a while and then return home, and unlike previous generations of immigrants, they could actually do that if our system let them, because they don't need to cross an ocean.
The U.S. immigration machinery has no effective way of welcoming, licensing and tracking guest workers, and yet we need enormous numbers of them. I'd call that a failure. …
At the same time, candidly, I don't think all religious voices are equally helpful in the national debate. Accusing Americans of national racism, or prematurely threatening civil disobedience to immigration law, is unwise.
Sometimes common sense is more useful than "prophetic witness." The security concerns most Americans feel are very legitimate. Citizens have a right to be worried about disrespect for the law and the solvency of their public institutions.
