clipped from www.huffingtonpost.com

Cardinal Francis George, archbishop of Chicago, and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

used the occasion to call on the Obama administration to stop immigration raids and urged passage of comprehensive immigration reform

the cardinal

"... sought to cast the issue in moral terms, calling it "a matter of conscience" and an important step to creating a more peaceful society. 'We cannot strengthen families when people live in fear from day to day,'

The continuing raids around the country indeed a matter of conscience. We are taking parents from their children; we are separating families. This is not what in our tradition we should do. Protecting and supporting families

is crucial. The immigration system

must be changed in ways that are compassionate, fair, just, and consistent with the biblical command to "welcome the stranger."

I applaud President Obama for repeating his commitment to immigration reform last week, I join Cardinal George in also urging an immediate end to raids