Dear Editor: I would caution church officials when standing on church stairs at the invitation of New York City politicians to announce such newly introduced legislation as that affecting undocumented people in our City. Apart from the divisiveness of this issue, the City has enacted a bill which does nothing more than abrogate and stand in contradiction to current federal law and legal policy on illegal immigrants.

It is truly contentious to stand with the mayor and city council president, who, as self-described “progressives,” stand vehemently opposed to nearly all current Church public policy, including school tax vouchers for parochial education, legalization of gay marriage and continued government funding for abortion of unborn babies.

I think it highly doubtful that these same politicians will come calling when Bishop DiMarzio or Msgr. Marino press for religious-based exemption from such governmental program mandates as those contained in the Federal Affordable Health Care Act (Obamacare) to provide funding for abortions and contraception at Catholic healthcare, social service and educational institutions.

Believe you me, such politicians as Mayor deBlasio and City Council Speaker Mark-Viverito wouldn’t be able to run fast enough away from the steps of Our Lady of Sorrows Church if and when the Church needs to abrogate federal law and stand on its Catholic principle, if and when city, state and federal legislation forces us to compromise our core foundational religious beliefs and religious freedom.

 

STEPHEN ANTONELLI
Park Slope