Works of Mercy May Become Federal Crimes.

I often find it maddening that American Christians don't seem to be interested in interpreting the Bible in a way that truly mirrors the teachings of Jesus, if it requires that they do something distasteful, or difficult, like make sure that the poor were cared for adequately with a decent minimum wage and universal healthcare.

It's much easier, and admittedly more fun, to follow the Old Testament and enact laws that prohibit this, punish that and enthusiastically put people to death, than it is to follow the New Testament's message of peace, love, and turning the other cheek. If the truth be told, in the eyes of most fundamentalist American Christians, Jesus was a liberal-Marxist wimp.

But today I have to shout, Hallelujah and salute Cardinal Mahony of Los Angeles, for interpreting the New Testament with love in his heart.

From the New York Times Editorial Page:

The enormous influx of illegal immigrants and the lack of a coherent federal policy to handle it have prompted a jumble of responses by state and local governments, stirred the passions of the nativist fringe, and reinforced anxieties since 9/11. Cardinal Mahony's defiance adds a moral dimension to what has largely been a debate about politics and economics. "As his disciples, we are called to attend to the last, littlest, lowest and least in society and in the church," he said.

The cardinal is right to argue that the government has no place criminalizing the charitable impulses of private institutions like his, whose mission is to help people with no questions asked. The Los Angeles Archdiocese, like other religious organizations across the country, runs a vast network of social service programs offering food and emergency shelter, child care, aid to immigrants and refugees, counseling services, and computer and job training. Through Catholic Charities and local parishes, the church is frequently the help of last resort for illegal immigrants in need. It should not be made an arm of the immigration police as well.

Cardinal Mahony's declaration of solidarity with illegal immigrants, for whom Lent is every day, is a startling call to civil disobedience, as courageous as it is timely. We hope it forestalls the day when works of mercy become a federal crime.