Los Angeles archbishop, others announce immigration initiative

Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez and other Southern California bishops announced Saturday an initiative to assist an estimated 2.4 million legal permanent residents in the United States who are seeking citizenship.

The joint effort, announced at the Immigration Summit held at the Christ Cathedral in Orange County, will “offer practical assistance for legal residents seeking citizenship,” according to a release from the Los Angeles Archdiocese.

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“Our struggle has never been about politics. It’s always been about people. People who are hurting and exploited, people who are dying,” Gomez said in a statement. “If we work this year to encourage naturalization and citizenship -- this will make a real difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.”

The summit, which included more than 400 parish leaders from 40 parishes across Southern California, is aimed at discussing the efforts of the Catholic Church to help immigrants “who are impacted by the broken U.S. immigration system,” the release said.

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