The Roman Catholic bishops of Kentucky reiterated their commitment to “stand with our immigrant brothers and sisters” in a special statement for the feast of the Epiphany, Jan. 4.
The statement, published on the Archdiocese of Louisville’s website Jan. 1, addresses Kentuckians as a follow-up to a national statement issued by the U.S. bishops in November.
“In continuity with that message, and with our joint statement in December 2024 with the bishops of Tennessee, as we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord and recognize Jesus Christ as the light that guides all nations on earth, we now wish to address ourselves specifically to our Kentucky communities,” they write in the Jan. 1 statement.
The four bishops who signed the statement are Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre of Louisville, Bishop of Owensboro William F. Medley, Bishop of Covington John C. Iffert, and Bishop of Lexington John Stowe, OFM Conv. It also included the signature of Jason D. Hall, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Kentucky, which represents the bishops on matters of public policy.
The bishops begin by reiterating the position of the Catholic Church on immigration.
“Nations have a right and responsibility to control their borders and to enforce laws meant to protect the population, but all laws must be enforced in a just and predictable manner that respects the God-given dignity of each human person,” they write. “Pope Leo reminded us of this when he stated, ‘No one has said that the United States should have open borders…I think every country has a right to determine who and how and when people enter.’ The Holy Father then added that ‘we have to look for ways of treating people humanely, treating people with the dignity that they have.’ ”
They go on to express concern over the challenges facing immigrants in the U.S.
“Accordingly, we are increasingly concerned about the rapidly developing challenges facing immigrants, whether documented or undocumented. Regular reports of immigrants with legal status having that status arbitrarily revoked; increasing incidents of political leaders vilifying immigrants; the elimination of sanctuary protections for churches, hospitals, and schools; and proposals at the state level targeting the ability of immigrants to live and pursue their dreams in Kentucky, combine to create an understandable climate of hostility, anxiety, and fear,” they write, adding, “We oppose all efforts to stigmatize immigrants as a group or to spread fear based on national or ethnic origin.”
Asking elected leaders to reform the immigration system, they continue:
“We stand with all of our immigrant brothers and sisters who have been victimized by unjust government action or by harmful rhetoric and vilification. We call on all of our political leaders to work to reform our broken immigration system in a way that allows for the peaceful and orderly migration of people who are searching for peace, stability, religious freedom, and economic opportunity, as well as one that respects family unification and a realistic possibility of potentially obtaining citizenship.”
The bishops also call “Catholics and all people of good will” to action — seeking a better understanding of the plight of immigrants and Church teaching and advocating for policies that respect human dignity.
“We reiterate the call and commitment we made with our brother bishops in Tennessee and invite Catholics and all people of good will ‘to learn more about the plight of immigrants, to understand the values that form our Catholic Teaching on the matter, and to join us in advocating for just and comprehensive laws and policies that respond to the requirements of human rights and dignity and reflect the desire for the common good in our nation. We stand ready to be a part of bringing this about,’ ” they conclude.
