Faith leaders seek to retrieve immigration reform in a time of turbulence, tumult

Archbishop José H. Gomez speaks at the interfaith clergy summit on immigration Aug,. 17 while a response panel consisting of leaders from COPS/Metro Alliance, and from the Jewish, Methodist, and Church of God faith traditions look on. Deacon Pat Rodgers | Today's Catholic

SAN ANTONIO – Archbishop Jose H. Gomez and COPS/The Metro Alliance co-hosted an interfaith clergy summit for about 150 lay leaders and denominations leaders, themed, “Welcoming the Stranger and Immigration Reform,” on Aug. 17 at Colonial Hills United Methodist Church.

The summit featured conversations from the archbishop, Ernesto Cortes, Jr., director of the Southwest Industrial Area Foundation; Bishop Rufus Kyles, Southeast Jurisdictional Bishop of the Church of God in Christ; Bishop James Dorff, bishop of the San Antonio Area United Methodist Church; Rabbi Barry Block, senior rabbi of Temple Beth El; Bishop Joel Martinez, retired bishop of the San Antonio Area United Methodist Church.

“We seek to come together and reclaim our role in providing a moral framework for our nation and our society around this press issue,” stated a letter of invitation from Archbishop Gomez; Father Michael DeGerolami, pastor of St. Philip of Jesus Church; and Rev. Jose L. Palos, pastor of El Divino Salvador United Methodist Church. “Thus, we will return to our institutions and organizations with renewed energy and ideas to put into practice, guiding the formation of our people.”

In his comments, Archbishop Gomez emphasized that the United States is a country of laws and that the church doesn’t approve of or encourage illegal entry into the country. However, he emphasized, there is a need for people to provide for their families, to work and to be able to move from one place to another.

“A lot of people are suffering because of the immigration system,” said the archbishop. “We must find a way for people to move according to the rights of our country.”

Archbishop Gomez said the church, in the current immigration debate, can promote forgives and reconciliation, justice and mercy, not anger and resentment.

To that end, in recent talks and presentations, the archbishop has promoted the idea of community service as “a just punishment” for the estimated 12 million unauthorized immigrants in the United States.

While he acknowledged the importance of the current political spotlight on economic stimulus and health care reform, Archbishop Gomez claimed emphatically that immigration reform is the most important issue. “It is the greatest civil rights test of our generation,” the archbishop concluded.