By Jessica Easthope and John Lavenburg

On the feast day of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, the Catholic bishops of New York state called for the nation to lean on the idea of Christian charity, “as lived so powerfully by Mother Cabrini,” on the issue of immigration.

“[Christian charity] demands we welcome the stranger and treat every individual with respect and dignity,” the bishops said in a new statement on immigration, published on Nov. 13.

Mother Cabrini, who was canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1946 and named patroness of immigrants in 1950, arrived in New York from Italy in 1889, establishing many charitable organizations and schools for immigrants.

Mother Cabrini “was an indefatigable advocate, protector, and educator of newly arrived immigrants in New York,” the bishops noted in the statement, adding that she “reminds us of the Church’s longstanding care and concern for immigrants.”

With Mother Cabrini’s example and Church teaching in mind, the New York state Catholic bishops reminded that many migrants and refugees who have come to New York in recent years are from wartorn countries like Ukraine and Afghanistan, and are running from poverty and authoritarian governments in South America.

“Most of these migrants — the majority, our neighbors — are good people who arrived on our shores seeking a better life,” the bishops said.

Therefore, to adequately address the issue of illegal immigration, the bishops called for  measured approach that appropriately penalizes criminals and upholds the nation’s border but also shows compassion to those who have fled unlivable circumstances.

The bishops said that “general enforcement of immigration laws must be carried out in a humane manner that does not target the hard-working and law-abiding; that does not permit the wanton and unnecessary separation of families; and that does not rely on campaigns of fear that cripple whole communities.”

“As such,” the bishops continued, “we do not support the sweeping revocation of the temporary protected status that was granted to many migrants who arrived in this country to escape the horrors occurring in their own, and who have justifiably relied upon the legal protections our government offered to them.”

“At the same time,” they added, “while we support the right to peacefully protest and witness opposition to political policies, we can never condone violence against immigration and law enforcement agents.”

The New York state Catholic bishops called on Congress to put forth a solution.

Specifically, they urged civic leaders to “craft immigration laws that respect our borders and create an orderly process for those who wish to enter our nation, while offering a measure of forgiveness towards those who arrived here without legal status but who have proven their contributions and loyalty to our country over a period of time.”

However, most important, they said, is for all people to live according to the great commandments: “To love God with all our hearts and to love our neighbors as ourselves.”

“All other imperatives are subject to this law of charity, and it is concerned neither with legal status nor country of origin,” they said. “As individuals and as a society, we are bound to follow this supreme command and to make all our actions consistent with it, to the best of our abilities, even in difficult circumstances.”

The bishops also encouraged New York Catholics to sign the Cabrini Pledge and “follow in the footsteps of our beloved Mother Cabrini in acknowledging our duty to welcome, to protect, to promote, and to integrate immigrants in accordance with the guidance proclaimed by Sacred Scripture and the Magisterium of the Church.”