Archbishop Wuerl: Don’t forget immigrants in health care reform

Today, in an op-ed titled “Health Care Reform a Moral Imperative, But Must Cover Immigrants, Too”, Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C., writes,

Universal coverage should be universal, including everyone. Health care reform cannot leave people out because of pre-existing conditions, chronic illnesses, their place of work or because they cannot afford insurance. Reform should not leave people out because of where they come from or when they arrived here.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, following the Gospel mandate to care for the “least of these,” urges us to look at health care from the bottom up. A particular gauge against which to measure true universal coverage would be how reform treats the immigrants in our midst who contribute their labor and taxes to our nation, but are at risk of being left out of health care reform.

It’s nice to hear the Gospel from an American bishop for once. (Although props should go to to Italian Cardinal Renato Martino for his comments, as well.)