On February 4th, 2025, Archbishop Gregory J Hartmayer, OFM Conv. and Bishop Stephen D. Parkes, along with the three Auxiliary Bishops of Atlanta, issued the following statement. \u00a0I am grateful for the support shown to the immigrant community of Georgia, a significant percent of which is Catholic.<\/p>\n
La versi\u00f3n en espa\u00f1ol sigue luego de la original en ingl\u00e9s.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the statement:<\/p>\n
The Catholic Church proclaims to the world that human life is sacred and has intrinsic value because every human person is fashioned in the image and likeness of the Creator. God created mankind in his image; in the image of God, he created them; male and female he created them<\/em>. (Gen 1:27) This fundamental belief propels the Catholic Church to speak on issues of life, not for political ends, but rather to shed light on the beauty and mystery of our shared humanity.<\/p>\n Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, often speaks of our need to be cognizant of the poor and marginalized in our midst. In addressing a recent conference entitled \u201cFor World Balance<\/a>,\u201d His Holiness remarked, \u201cThe poor and the sick, the young and the elderly, migrants and displaced people, even those deprived of their freedom, must be at the center of our considerations, so that no one is excluded and everyone\u2019s human dignity is respected.\u201d Especially during this Jubilee Year, we are called to unite as Pilgrims of Hope to focus on our relationship with Jesus Christ, who is our ultimate and everlasting hope for the future.<\/p>\n As there is much discussion today about immigration, we, the Catholic Bishops of the State of Georgia, want to bring attention to the plight of the refugee and migrant who have come to our country and are living in our midst. The current rhetoric regarding the topic of immigration often demonizes all immigrants, causing anxiety, fear, harassment, and intimidation. Unsubstantiated and uncharitable comments about our brothers and sisters who have immigrated here from other countries do not respect our call to recognize human dignity and must be condemned.<\/p>\n As spiritual leaders, we recognize the diversity of the flock entrusted to us and are concerned about the welfare of those who have immigrated to Georgia seeking a better life for themselves and their families through honest work. Many industries in our state \u2013 including agriculture, construction, and residential services \u2013 rely on the presence of immigrant labor and would be negatively affected by proposed immigration policy changes. The immigrants we meet every day in our ministry are faithful people who are dedicated to God, the Church, family, and community. They put a human face on the immigration crisis. However, we also understand and agree that those who come to our country with previous criminal records and those who commit crimes after their arrival must be held accountable and deported to their home countries.<\/p>\n \u201cWe wish to affirm the recent statement<\/a>\u00a0by Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio (Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA), President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and Bishop Mark J. Seitz (Diocese of El Paso), Chair of the USCCB Committee on Migration, which expresses concern regarding the negative consequences recent executive orders will have on the most vulnerable among us, including immigrants. Our hope, especially during this Jubilee Year, is attaining immigration reform that is faithful to three basic principles of the Church\u2019s teaching on immigration:\u00a0People have the right to migrate to sustain their lives and the lives of their families. A country has the right to regulate its borders and control immigration. A country must regulate its borders with justice and mercy.<\/em>\u00a0(USCCB, \u201cCatholic Social Teaching on Immigration and the Movement of Peoples<\/a>\u201d)<\/p>\n As Catholics we share one faith and one baptism. As creatures fashioned by the same God, we share in the same sanctity of human life. The call and desire of every Catholic, regardless of national origin or legal status, is to worship the Almighty, and we pray that our churches may be places of peace through solemn prayer, places of grace afforded by the celebration of the Sacraments, and places of compassion provided by fellowship and accompaniment. We invite you to join us in prayer for our country and her leaders, that they may be blessed with wisdom, compassion, and openness to collaboration. We also lift in prayer our immigrant brothers and sisters and all who are marginalized, that the light of Christ will guide them to peace. During this Jubilee Year and always, may we have the desire to journey together as Pilgrims of Hope.<\/p>\n The Most Reverend Gregory John Hartmayer, OFM Conv., Archbishop of Atlanta La Iglesia Cat\u00f3lica proclama al mundo que la vida humana es sagrada y su valor intr\u00ednseco porque cada ser humano est\u00e1 hecho a imagen y semejanza del Creador.\u00a0Y Dios cre\u00f3 al hombre a su imagen; lo cre\u00f3 a imagen de Dios, los cre\u00f3 var\u00f3n y mujer.<\/em>\u00a0(G\u00e9nesis 1:27) Esta creencia fundamental impulsa a la Iglesia Cat\u00f3lica a pronunciarse sobre cuestiones de vida, no con fines pol\u00edticos, sino m\u00e1s bien para arrojar luz sobre la belleza y el misterio de la humanidad que compartimos.<\/p>\n Nuestro Santo Padre, el Papa Francisco, habla a menudo de la necesidad que tenemos de ser conscientes de los pobres y marginados en nuestro medio. En su discurso en la conferencia reciente titulada \u201cPor el equilibrio del mundo<\/a>\u201d, Su Santidad dijo: \u201cLos pobres y los enfermos, los j\u00f3venes y los ancianos, los migrantes y los desplazados, incluso los privados de libertad, deben estar en el centro de nuestras consideraciones, para que nadie quede excluido y todos vean respetada su dignidad humana\u201d. Especialmente durante este A\u00f1o Jubilar, estamos llamados a unirnos como Peregrinos de Esperanza para centrarnos en nuestra relaci\u00f3n con Jesucristo, quien es nuestra esperanza suprema y eterna para el futuro.<\/p>\n Debido a que actualmente hay tanto debate sobre inmigraci\u00f3n, nosotros, los obispos cat\u00f3licos del estado de Georgia, queremos volcar la atenci\u00f3n sobre la dif\u00edcil situaci\u00f3n de los refugiados y los migrantes que han llegado a nuestro pa\u00eds y viven entre nosotros. La ret\u00f3rica actual sobre el tema de inmigraci\u00f3n a menudo demoniza a todos los inmigrantes, causando ansiedad, miedo, acoso e intimidaci\u00f3n. Los comentarios infundados y poco caritativos sobre nuestros hermanos que han inmigrado aqu\u00ed desde otros pa\u00edses no respetan nuestro llamado a reconocer la dignidad humana y deben ser condenados.<\/p>\n Como l\u00edderes espirituales, reconocemos la diversidad del reba\u00f1o que se nos ha confiado y nos preocupa el bienestar de quienes han inmigrado a Georgia en busca de una vida mejor para ellos y sus familias a trav\u00e9s del trabajo honesto. Muchas industrias en nuestro estado, incluyendo la agricultura, la construcci\u00f3n y los servicios residenciales, dependen de la presencia de mano de obra inmigrante y se ver\u00edan afectadas negativamente por los cambios propuestos en la pol\u00edtica de inmigraci\u00f3n.<\/p>\n Los inmigrantes a quienes servimos todos los d\u00edas en nuestro ministerio son personas fieles que est\u00e1n dedicadas a Dios, a la Iglesia, a la familia y a la comunidad. Ellos le dan un rostro humano a la crisis migratoria. Sin embargo, tambi\u00e9n entendemos y estamos de acuerdo en que quienes llegan a nuestro pa\u00eds con antecedentes penales y aquellos que cometen delitos despu\u00e9s de su llegada deben rendir cuentas y ser deportados a sus pa\u00edses de origen.<\/p>\n Deseamos reafirmar la reciente declaraci\u00f3n<\/a>\u00a0del Arzobispo Timothy P. Broglio (Arquidi\u00f3cesis para los Servicios Militares, EE. UU.), presidente de la Conferencia de Obispos Cat\u00f3licos de los Estados Unidos (USCCB por sus siglas en ingl\u00e9s), y el Obispo Mark J. Seitz (Di\u00f3cesis de El Paso), presidente del Comit\u00e9 de Migraci\u00f3n de la USCCB, la cual expresa preocupaci\u00f3n por las consecuencias negativas que las recientes \u00f3rdenes ejecutivas tendr\u00e1n sobre los m\u00e1s vulnerables entre nosotros, incluyendo los inmigrantes. Nuestra esperanza, especialmente durante este A\u00f1o Jubilar, es lograr una reforma migratoria que sea fiel a tres principios b\u00e1sicos de la doctrina cat\u00f3lica sobre la inmigraci\u00f3n:\u00a0Las personas tienen el derecho de migrar para sustentar su vida y la vida de sus familias. Un pa\u00eds tiene el derecho de regular sus fronteras y de controlar la migraci\u00f3n. Un pa\u00eds debe regular sus fronteras con justicia y misericordia.<\/em>\u00a0(USCCB, \u201cEnse\u00f1anza social cat\u00f3lica sobre la inmigraci\u00f3n y el movimiento de los pueblos<\/a>\u201d)<\/p>\n Como cat\u00f3licos compartimos una fe y un bautismo. Como criaturas creadas por el mismo Dios, compartimos la misma santidad de la vida humana. El llamado y el deseo de cada cat\u00f3lico, independientemente de su origen nacional o estatus legal, es adorar al Todopoderoso. Oramos para que nuestras iglesias puedan ser lugares donde se sienta la paz que brinda la oraci\u00f3n solemne, la gracia que inspira la celebraci\u00f3n de los sacramentos y la compasi\u00f3n que genera la confraternidad y el acompa\u00f1amiento. Los invitamos a unirse a nosotros para orar por nuestro pa\u00eds y sus l\u00edderes, para que Dios los bendiga con sabidur\u00eda, compasi\u00f3n y abierta disposici\u00f3n a colaborar. Tambi\u00e9n elevamos en oraci\u00f3n a nuestros hermanos inmigrantes y a todos los marginados, para que la luz de Cristo los gu\u00ede hacia la paz;\u00a0 y rogamos para que durante este A\u00f1o Jubilar y siempre, tengamos el deseo de caminar juntos como Peregrinos de Esperanza.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On February 4th, 2025, Archbishop Gregory J Hartmayer, OFM Conv. and Bishop Stephen D. Parkes, along with the three Auxiliary Bishops of Atlanta, issued the following statement. \u00a0I am grateful for the support shown to the immigrant community of Georgia, a significant percent of which is Catholic. La versi\u00f3n en espa\u00f1ol sigue luego de la […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2533,"featured_media":5633,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[167],"tags":[1477,516,208,136],"class_list":["post-7772","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-immigration-2","tag-archdiocese-of-atlanta","tag-atlanta","tag-catholic-church","tag-savannah"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nThe Most Reverend Stephen D. Parkes, Bishop of Savannah
\nThe Most Rev. Joel M. Konzen, S.M.. Auxiliary Bishop of Atlanta
\nThe Most Rev. Bernard E. Shlesinger III, Auxiliary Bishop of Atlanta
\nThe Most Rev. John Nh\u00e0n Tr\u1ea7n, Auxiliary Bishop of Atlanta<\/p>\nDeclaraci\u00f3n sobre inmigraci\u00f3n, Conferencia Cat\u00f3lica de Georgia<\/h2>\n