To the editor: I am appealing to Christians in Los Angeles and those who were raised Christian and still have good values to speak up against these cruel raids (“A crisis of faith: ICE raids force some churches to take ‘extraordinary’ action,” July 11). The Bible tells us to take care of strangers. Undocumented immigrants must be treated as individuals with histories and given due process. They should have legal status after years in this country. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has stated that many are only here illegally because of our broken immigration system and Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the USCCB, said mass deportations “represent a profound social crisis before which no person of good will can remain silent.”
Each individual in this country has the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We are watching good people’s lives being destroyed by racists who only care about themselves and not about their neighbors or our country. A true Christian is not filled with hate. Jesus’ commandment is to love our neighbors as ourselves, and those of us who strive to be true Christians must speak up now and act to protect and shelter the least of these: our immigrant neighbors, co-workers and friends.
Laura Murray, Los Angeles
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To the editor: I’m sorry my fellow Catholics are afraid to go to Mass in person, but I understand their fear. For those who have a computer, there may be one thing that might help.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, St. Monica’s Catholic Community invested in a lot of television equipment and broadcast the Sunday Mass online. It proved so popular that it continues. People from across the country tune in because they like the community.
Kay Devonshire, Santa Monica