California's Catholic bishops are taking a stand on illegal immigration in hopes of influencing the political debate on one of the hottest issues of the 2008 presidential campaign.The church leaders want to see Congress enact a temporary worker program and help those already here illegally become citizens.
"As bishops, we call on Catholics and all people of good will to treat each other with dignity and respect and to work together constructively to ensure a positive outcome to this really challenging problem," said Archbishop George Niederauer, leader of the San Francisco Archdiocese.
Niederauer spoke on behalf of bishops around the state at a news conference in San Francisco Wednesday morning. While he shied away from using the word “amnesty,” he said the federal government needs to have compassion towards people like Robert Cervantes.
Cervantes came here from the Philippines on a tourist visa 15 years ago, was arrested, and is now awaiting deportation, which means being separated from his teenage daughter born in America. "The only reason why I'm staying here is for my daughter. Nothing else," said Cervantes.
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