O.C. Bishop Adds to Call for Charitable Immigration Policies

The most senior Roman Catholic official in Orange County called Sunday for immigration reform “which respects our common humanity” by legalizing illegal immigrants and creating a temporary guest worker program while securing the nation’s borders.

Tod D. Brown, the Bishop of Orange, a diocese with nearly 1.2 million members, made the remarks at Holy Family Cathedral in Orange at the end of a confirmation service for 89 high school sophomores from throughout the diocese.

He received polite applause from the more than 800 parishioners at the service. But afterward, churchgoers had mixed, and passionate, responses to the address, reflecting the fiercely polarized nature of the issue in Orange County -- a hotbed of debate on the subject.

Brown’s comments were part of a broader movement by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which is advocating what it calls a “compassionate” approach to immigration reform that shuns harsh penalties.

The remarks come three months after Cardinal Roger M. Mahony denounced anti-immigrant sentiment as “hysterical” and in a Lenten address urged policy reform that balanced the nation’s security needs with the rights of immigrants.

Brown said he chose the occasion because it was the last scheduled address in which he would have the opportunity to discuss the subject before negotiations on the House and Senate versions of the bill.

“As Christians, Catholic Christians, we cannot let fear rule us,” Brown said. “Christ commands us to love one another -- even our enemies. We cannot let the fear of losing jobs, of educating illegal immigrants, and healthcare costs be major reasons for promulgating laws that violate our Christian heritage.”

Brown also voiced support for policies that address the reasons people enter the United States illegally, “so that migrants can remain in their home countries and support themselves and their families.”

He opposed policies that sanction people who provide humanitarian aid to the undocumented, an apparent reference to proposed House legislation that would require churches to demand documentation on legal status before providing aid.

The Senate passed immigration legislation last month that includes a guest worker program and a path to legalization for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the U.S.

The House passed a bill last year stressing enforcement. The two versions must be reconciled before a bill is signed into law.

Parishioners’ responses to Brown’s comments largely broke down along ethnic lines, with Latinos in support and whites largely opposed.

Several said they felt it was inappropriate for the bishop to have raised the issue during a confirmation ceremony.

Keith Chilcott, 70, a construction project manager from Santa Ana, said he found the remarks “absolutely outrageous.”

“This was a service for the kids,” he said.

“It was not time to introduce politics. We didn’t need to get into the issue of the laws of the country and those who break the law.”

Rudy Jimenez, 44, a hospital security director from Santa Ana, said he found the comments “outstanding.”

“It’s good to see leaders stand up and put out not only the political side of this, but the humanitarian side,” Jimenez said. He attended the ceremony to see his daughter’s confirmation with his parents, who immigrated from Mexico to pick grapes.

Crystal De La Riva, 20, of Orange said she had braced herself to hear negative comments about immigrants when the bishop raised the issue, but found herself happily surprised.

Lanny DeRose, 43, a probation officer from Corona, said he found the remarks intrusive.

“My own personal opinion is the church should stick to spiritual matters,” he said.

“I just don’t think they need to be telling people how to think or vote. They sure shouldn’t be involved in politics.”