U.S. Archbishop Gomez on migration: Build bridges not walls

(Vatican Radio)  Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles is of Mexican origin and says we are called to build bridges and not walls when it comes to tackling the issue of immigration to the U.S. He is the first-ever Hispanic Archbishop of Los Angeles, a U.S. city with one of the highest proportions of Hispanic/Latino residents, and is chairman of the United States Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration. The archbishop was interviewed by Susy Hodges.

Listen to the interview with Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles:

Archbishop Gomez is actively involved in efforts to welcome immigrants and to discern ways in which the U.S. Church can better respond to the Hispanic/Latino presence, especially through his participation in the ‘V Encuentro’ ministry. The V Encuentro calls for the development of resources and initiatives to better serve the fast-growing Hispanic populations in dioceses and parishes across the U.S.

Archbishop Gomez reminded that immigration is about people, not politics or numbers and spoke about the importance of opening up “our hearts and our lives to new immigrants” in our midst. Saying immigration is “a global reality,” that will not disappear, the archbishop stressed that we are “called to build bridges and not walls” and spoke of the need for the U.S. authorities to tackle the issue of immigration in a comprehensive manner.

“I think it’s important for anybody in a position of leadership in our government to find a way to address the reality of immigration to our country," he said.