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The Sisters of St. Francis, Tiffin , Ohio have adopted the Da'na family, a Palestinian family in Hebron. We promise prayer and other support to this family.

The Da’na Family consists of Samih Da’na and his wife, Hiba, Samih’s father and three of his father’s brothers and their families. They live together in a family compound on the edge of Kiryat Arba, an Israeli settlement just northeast of the Old (inner) City of Hebron . The families difficulties include daily harassments(stone throwing, name calling) from the Kiryat Arba settlers and the intrusion of Israeli soldiers, who come frequently to search their house or to pass through their home en route to an army outpost on the top floor of the four story building. About 100 family members live on what is now a very small area, following the confiscation of their lands by the Israeli government to build Kiryat Arba. Last year when the Israeli army build the settler road along the rear of the Da’na compound and set up a new fence, the soldiers proceeded to bulldoze and uproot the remainder of the Da’na orchard, some 600 fruit trees and grape vines. The family are now replanting as much as possible, but their land has been cut from twenty-nine dunams (1 dunam=1/4 acre) to perhaps two.

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In 2002 the Catholic Bishops of Mexico and the United States issued a pastoral letter, Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope, in which they pointed out that the present U.S. immigration system is deeply flawed and that comprehensive reform is required. The Bishops of the United States launched in May 2005 a campaign, “Justice for Immigrants: A Journey of Hope”, to educate the nation’s Catholic population about the situation of immigrants and to assist them in advocacy activities to bring about much needed immigration policy reforms.

The Bishops offer a comprehensive set of recommendations for changing U.S. laws and policies to reflect the principles found in Scripture and Catholic Social Teaching and to bring about a more humane and just immigration system in the United States. The Bishops’ call for reforms includes the following elements: 1) global anti-poverty efforts that result in people not having to migrate in desperation in order to survive, 2) expanded opportunities to reunify families, 3) a just and humane temporary worker program, 4) broad based legislation for the undocumented if they demonstrate good moral character and have built up equities in the U.S., and 5) restoration of due process for those arrested and taken into custody.

A growing anti-immigrant sentiment in the United States is promoting very harsh and penalizing legislation in Congress. Just recently, in December 2005, the House of Representatives passed HR 4437 (The Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005) which metes our harsh new penalties for undocumented persons in the U.S. and for those who show them compassion or give them aid. The legislative action on immigration reform has now moved to the Senate where Senators Kennedy (D-MA) and McCain(R-AZ) have sponsored S1033 (The Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act) which is much more humane and provides: 1) a path to legalization for the 8-10 million undocumented persons living in the U.S., 2) family reunification, 3) worker protections, and 4) an effective border policy.

The Senate Judiciary Committee took both bills and came up with a compromise bill, The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006. Deliberations on this bill began on March 2, 2006. The compromise bill contains many necessary elements, but lacks a way to permanent legal status. Temporary, conditional status means permanent second class status. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Justice for Immigrants Campaign urges calls and letters to all Senators NOW and in these next months encouraging support for comprehensive immigration reforms. Word from Capitol Hill is that Congress is receiving more anti-immigrant feedback than pro. More information on the bills, talking points, and model letters can be found at the following links:

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If we are to live in a truly civilized society we must hold fast to the principle that torture is immoral and unethical and has no place in our world. However, torture and inhumane treatment of persons continues today in more than 150 nations and there are growing numbers of govern-
ments, including the United States, who seek to legalize torture.
The use of torture by the U.S. government in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay and its implementation of the system of “rendition outsourcing” which involves other countries carrying our torture under the direction of the U.S. government are huge setbacks for human rights advocacy around the world.
In light of this situation, the Torture Abolition and Survivor Support Coalition (TASSA) has declared the month of June 2006 as Torture Awareness Month–a time for all anti-torture advocates to work to raise the consciousness of others regarding this deadly practice and to strive to achieve a torture free world. Catholic social teaching clearly states that “the prohibition against torture is a principle that cannot be contravened under any circumstances.” Pope John Paul II echoed this call when he emphatically declared: “there is never any justification for torture.”
There are various ways to participate in this month of awareness: 1) organize a prayer vigil against torture, 2) write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, 3) call the White House on Friday, June 23,(National Call-In Day) and urge President Bush to have zero tolerance for torture, 4) ring church bells or other sound instruments on Sunday, June 25, (International Bell Ringing Day) at 12 noon in support of torture victims and survivors, and 5) during the week of June 26th(U.N. International Day in Support of Torture Victims and Survivors), wear a loop of white ribbon to symbolize solidarity with all those who have been tortured and the families of the victims. For more information go to: www.tassc.org.