“Let’s try something today. We all have those we like and those we don’t like so much. Perhaps many of us are angry with someone. Let’s say to the Lord, ‘I am angry with this person and that one. I pray for him and for her.’”
— Pope Francis, at his weekly general audience June 12
“Do we want a country with a permanent underclass, without the same rights as the majority? Do we want to continue to separate children from parents, creating a generation of young U.S. citizens who are suspicious and fearful of their government? Do we want a nation that accepts the toil and taxes of undocumented workers without offering them the protection of the law? The answer to these questions, of course, is a resounding no.”
— Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration, at a news conference June 10 in San Diego that reiterated the bishops’ support for comprehensive immigration reform that protects families and workers
“This is going to be a marathon, not a sprint. We are never alone in our distress and suffering. Through the love and kindness of both neighbors and strangers Jesus is demonstrating his faithfulness.”
— Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, writing in his archdiocesan newspaper about the help tornado victims were receiving following deadly storms that struck the area last month
“We ask God to inspire all consciences . . . to work to bring about a just and comprehensive peace, and respect for the dignity and sanctity of human life.”
— Cardinal Bechara Rai, who is Lebanon’s Maronite Catholic patriarch, and Syria’s Greek Orthodox Patriarch John X, in a joint statement calling for the release of two Orthodox bishops kidnapped April 22 in northern Syria while on a humanitarian mission
