The Los Angeles Times reports:

For the first time in 12 years, U.S. Catholic bishops have issued a unified statement to support the country’s immigrants and oppose the Trump administration’s “indiscriminate mass deportations of people.”

The move solidified their support for immigrants — long a vital part of the U.S. Catholic Church — amid a year of unprecedented upheaval. It also continues a long tradition of the church as an institution of support for those in the country illegally that dates to the massive immigration sweeps in Los Angeles in the 1980s.

The special statement was issued Wednesday during the annual United States Conference of Catholic Bishops gathering in Baltimore. It was the first time since 2013 that the bishops had collectively voiced their concerns over an issue. The last time they did so was in response to the federal government’s contraceptive mandate.

To show the consensus of the body, the bishops must vote to approve the special message, which was overwhelmingly supported with 216 votes in favor, five against and three abstentions.

At St. Joseph Catholic Church in Hawthorne on Thursday, Marisela Trujillo, 45, said she was grateful for the bishops’ stance.

“They’re basically speaking on our behalf,” Trujillo said. “They’re amplifying our voices.” [Continue reading…]