Faith, Politics Cross in Debate

The Dallas Morning News notes that "When religious leaders address immigration, some take offense":

When Dallas' Catholic Bishop Charles Grahmann spoke at a "Mass for migrants and refugees" recently, he smote the city of Farmers Branch with the New Testament story of a family fleeing from King Herod.

"I often wonder if Joseph, Mary and Jesus would find a place in Farmers Branch," he said. "They would probably be told they would have to find another place."

The bishop was referring to a new city ordinance – still tied up with legal challenges and facing a referendum – that would make it illegal to rent an apartment to anyone who could not prove that he or she was in this country legally.

The bishop's comments stunned some of those leading the fight for the ordinance. They are Catholic and did not appreciate his message.

"Being hospitable and welcoming to the stranger doesn't dictate that you countenance illegal actions," said David Koch, 45, a lawyer who plans to run for Farmers Branch City Council. "Or require that you bear any cost or any price to be hospitable, especially when it's to the detriment to the whole."

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Tom Bohmier [also] doesn't buy [the Bishop's admonitions]. Raised Catholic, he is one of the more visible citizen-activists in favor of the ordinance. Jesus' parents were breaking no Egyptian law when they fled, he said.

"The reference is unclear, inappropriate and made a lot of Catholics very upset," he said.

He's been church-hopping for a while and was about to come back to his Catholic parish when the bishop's comments hit the news, he said.

"I told the local father, 'I'm not coming back for a while, now,'" Mr. Bohmier said.

[More]

My Comments:
Like I'm going to listen to the guy who's "church-hopping" when he complains about the Bishop's position on this issue.

Regardless of your position on illegal immigration, isn't there something inherently uncharitable about making it illegal to rent an apartment to someone in need of shelter? What speaks loudly is when an evangelical church that hasn't taken a position on the ordinance at issue nevertheless feels that it must relocate outside of the city in order to remain a welcoming place for Hispanics.