In the early 13th century, Catholics in Europe began celebrating a special mass for the Bench and Bar. The liturgy is referred to as the "Red Mass" in recognition of the celebrant's red vestments symbolizing the Holy Spirit and the red robes worn by the judges of the High Court in England. This month in many larger cities, lawyers, judges, and legislators attend the annual Red Mass to ask for the Holy Spirit's guidance in their work of service to the people.
The opening of the legislative session in Phoenix, Ariz., last week was marked by the celebration of the holy mass. The sponsoring entities, the Diocese of Phoenix and the St. Thomas More Society, invited retired Bishop Ricardo Ramirez of the Diocese of Las Cruces, N.M., to be the homilist.
But Catholics, who came to the basilica to celebrate the holy mass and to renew their oath to uphold legal ethical principles, also received a lecture on our immigration laws. The bishop took advantage of a captive audience to push a political agenda, telling those in the pews that our laws violate human dignity and are unjust.
The bishop seems unable or unwilling to acknowledge the distinction between fundamental moral questions and "prudential judgments" in regard to complex social and political issues. Immigration, unlike abortion and euthanasia, is not a key theological issue that obliges Catholics to support the bishops' political stance.
The people in the pews realize that enacting "comprehensive immigration reform", code language for the 1,200-page Gang of Eight bill, is not a fundamental matter of faith or morals. The bill calls for a doubling of legal immigration and a doubling of guest workers in addition to the amnestying of over 11 million illegal aliens. The bishop shockingly called for this at a time of record-breaking unemployment rates.
Like the majority of Americans, Catholics worry about the plight of American workers and their families, believe in the rule of law, are concerned over the fiscal costs of amnesty, and distrust large bills and all that is hidden in their pages. The bishop should not dismiss these concerns or divide Catholics by suggesting that those of us who do not support his immigration policy are morally corrupt.