Blind Bishops Following Governmental Grants

In the August 13th issue of The Wanderer, we see published an article by Dexter Duggan entitled "Bishops on Wrong Side of the Fence".  This is in reference to the US bishops' take on the massive influx of illegal aliens coming across our southern border.  He makes a number of salient points on which I'd like to comment.

First he correctly opines that "no matter how good the original intentions of a political strategy that has produced damaging results, the USCCB needs to make its overriding priority the advocacy of justice and reform in immigrants’ home countries, not lawbreaking focused on forcing entry into one country alone, the United States."  But as we all know, the bishops continue to echo the Obamanista's demand for amnesty and porous borders.  We see NYC Cardinal Dolan sidling up with rabidly pro-abortion Chuck Schumer to shill for "immigration reform".  (Get a load of that picture; it's almost as disgusting as the picture of Dolan yokking it up with the Messiah Most Miserable at the Al Smith Dinner in 2012).  After calling citizens concerned about this massive influx (that is, people like me) "unbiblical", "inhumane" and "un-American", Dolan garnered some well-deserved criticism by Ann Coulter; I stand with her on this.

Moving down the Wanderer article, we see some statements by Barbara Wilson, a California reporter and commentator who has corresponded with the Wanderer.  She too hit some nails on the head.  She said, "As for the hierarchy of the Church, bishops are glib in their comments about caring for the stranger and now say that amnesty is ‘pro-life’  This smacks of too much politics for me.  On top of that, they ignore the millions of dollars Catholic Charities collects on contracts with the feds to house and care for illegals in locations across the county.  I attend church regularly and have never heard that Catholic Charities in the state has a fund to care for immigrants and many churches are offering temporary housing,  thus the dependence on federal largess.  I think their whole attitude is beyond disingenuous and hypocritical, and is, quite frankly, politically motivated. As someone said, ‘What would Jesus say?’”

Ain't it just peculiar how the bishops don't like to mention that teensy detail of the millions of dollars that Catholic Charities received for the express purpose of handling the burgeoning number of illegals - illegals that, at the time of granting, had not yet arrived?  I suppose when one considers that the bulk of funding that Catholic Charities receives comes from federal grants (that is, our tax dollars at work), one might understand the lack of mention here, but even that is too much to swallow.  A number of us have detailed some of the financing and other political maneuverings that have paved the way for this artificially-induced influx of illegals, the bulk of whom are not innocent little tykes fleeing desperate situations.  See here, here, here, here, here,  I realize that these posts (with related links) are a lot to read, but it's important that you invest the time to do so.  This is information that you'll not read in the lame-brain main-stream media, be that media secular or diocesan.

Let's move on now to another excellent article, this one written by Christopher Manion entitled "A Plea to America's Bishops".  He touches upon the tragedy in Iraq and Syria and the fact that Christians and other minorities are literally fleeing for their lives, as countless relatives have been butchered by Muslims.  He also makes mention that the response of many western countries - including the United States - has been one of passivity and indifferentism.  At a parish in Rome where he met with several mid-east refugees, the Pope basically told them to "move on" and "encourage one another".  Cardinal Wuerl's letter to the priests (see below) indicates that the Pope has sent "a significant sum of money" there - money that will run out.  While in Jordan, His Holiness thanked that country for welcoming Syrian refugees, then went on a tirade that laid the onus of the massacre on "arms dealers".  With all due respect to His Holiness, he's all wet on that one.  Those Muslims engaged in jihad are squarely to blame, not "arms dealers".  I don't believe "arms dealers" are supplying the knives that the jihadist monsters use to behead babies nor the scaffolding on which they hang and crucify Christians.  But I digress.

Manion goes on to ask why the US bishops aren't as solicitous for the welfare of these mid-east refuges as they are for the free passage, amnesty and perks for the illegals coming across our southern border.  The fact is that many if not most of these "children" coming across our borders are teen-aged boys - many of them with gang-related tattoos all over their bodies.  "Fleeing gang violence"?  No, they're bringing gang violence, often by recruiting other members in the retention centers.  Whatever else they are, they are not helpless refugees, as are those fleeing for their lives in the mid-east.

Manion ends by asking "that our bishops will focus their efforts on the Iraqi Christians. Ask them to join us in urging our government to welcome them as the legitimate refugees they really are."  Sadly, I don't think that will happen.  The US bishops are too much in the back pockets of the feds.

In this week's edition of the Catholic Standard, there was a goodly bit of focus on the mid-east situation.  Truth be told, how could they ignore that elephant in the living room?  In it was published a letter from Cardinal Wuerl to his priests stating that prayers and Masses should be offered.  Clearly these are needed, but where are the suggestions for practical assistance?  Would His Eminence had been so ethereal if the topic at hand was the illegal immigrants?  I think not!

The bishops will follow the dictates of the Obama regime as much as they can without forfeiting too much of their moral capital.  The Obamanistas, in turn, have shown a disturbing partiality to Muslim leaders and positions.  It may well be that they share the jihadist ambition for the destruction of Christianity in the mid-east; heaven knows they certainly are trying to marginalize Christians in this country.  As long as the US bishops insist on prostituting themselves by accepting and even soliciting governmental grants, they will slavishly follow the lead of the Messiah Most Miserable.  We may safely assume that our borders will not be porous to those from the mid-east AND we may also assume that no federal grant money will be made available to Catholic Charities to accept mid-east refugees.

We must pray for our bishops, even as we boycott every "social justice" appeal for money that they put out.  At this time, their concept of "social justice" comes at the direction of the progressives in power.