SALT LAKE CITY — Bishop John C. Wester of the Diocese of Salt Lake City has been named chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Migration. He succeeds Bishop Gerald R. Barnes of San Bernardino, Calif. The position will not be Bishop Wester’s first experience with the committee. He had served previously as a committee member, and then as a consultant. On behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Committee on Migration sets broad policies and direction for the Church’s work in the area of migration, coordinating closely with the USCCB Administrative Committee, on which the Committee on Migration Chairman serves, the Committee on Migration’s web site reveals. It oversees and provides guidance to Migration and Refugee Services, which is comprised of four offices: the Office for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees, the Office of Migration and Refugee Policy, the Office of Refugee Programs, and the Office of the Executive Director Most recently the committee has taken a special interest in issues of human trafficking. Bishop Wester’s previous work with the Committee took him to the far east, visiting Vietnam and Cambodia among other countries. "Recently, the Committee has worked hard to promote passage of more compassionate immigration legislation, but it didn’t pass in June," Bishop Wester said in a Nov. 16 interview with the Intermountain Catholic. "Our goal now is to keep our message out there and keep the issues on the table so we don’t lose ground." Bishop Wester said it has been the Catholic bishops’ intention to raise the tenor of the dialogue on migration, "moving beyond the harsh language we’ve been hearing in the recent immigration debates. Immigrants, and even people who are second- and third-generation citizens in this country have felt they were being targeted and dehumanized." The bishops will continue their campaign, "Justice for Immigrants: A Journey of Hope," the bishop said. "Our hope is that we can further educate people about issues of immigration and justice and answer some of the salient questions that arise." Bishop Wester also was elected to the Board of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the international Catholic relief and development agency of the USCCB. CRS offers support and services to people and countries in distress due to natural disasters, war, and poverty. Their mission is based on a rich tradition of Scripture and Catholic social teaching. "My position on the CRS board of directors will be a hand-in-hand collaboration with the Committee on Migration," he said. The USCCB fall assembly in Baltimore also included discussion about the weekday celebrations of Communion without a priest, which partners with the SCAP program, Sunday Celebration in the Absence of a Priest. "We also discussed the issue of sacred music; approving publication guidelines for hymns," Bishop Wester said. Catechesis was a vital issue for the bishops during the fall conference. They discussed teachings on human sexuality on the high school level. "The catechetical formation of teens and high school students was an action item for us," said Bishop Wester. In what several bishops called "a watershed moment" for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the full body of bishops overwhelmingly approved a document intended to help Catholic voters form their consciences on a variety of issues before the 2008 elections. "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility From the Catholic Bishops of the United States" was approved by a 221-4 vote Nov. 14, the last public day of the Nov. 12-15 fall general assembly. The bishops also endorsed a shorter document, designed as a parish bulletin insert, by a 221-1 vote. Prepared by a task force of the chairmen of seven USCCB committees, the document underwent more than a dozen drafts and was still heavily amended during the meeting and immediately before the Nov. 14 vote. The longer document rejects politics based on "powerful interests, partisan attacks, sound bites and media hype" and calls instead for "a different kind of political engagement." The bishops release similar statement every four years as the country prepares for presidential elections. "The language of this statement is clearer than that used in the past," Bishop Wester said. "It is a directive on how to form a Catholic conscience and give clear guidelines on making decisions that are compatible with Catholic teaching." The statement was written for Catholic voters and does not directly address the issues of Catholic politicians whose legislative votes are not consistent with Catholic teaching, Bishop Wester said. Catholic News Service contributed to this story.
Stay Connected With Us