In Catholic churches ...Vow of resistance

A council of priests with the Oklahoma City Archdiocese and Archbishop Eusebius J. Beltran have signed a pledge opposing the new immigration reform law.

The clergymen's signed "Pledge of Resistance” is to be presented today to Gov. Brad Henry's office, a spokesman with the archdiocese said.

"It's a dilemma we face,” said the Rev. Michael Chapman, a member of the council and pastor of Holy Angels Catholic Church in Oklahoma City. It's definitely against the law to be here illegally. "To that extent, Rep. (Randy) Terrill is correct. But we are making the statement that there is a higher law — a law of charity and helping your fellow man.”

‘Standing together'

The pledge carries no legal power and is merely an expression of opposition, church leaders said.

Chapman said the priests signed the pledge during a Wednesday meeting. Ray Dyer, an archdiocese spokesman, said the pledge would be posted today on the heavily Hispanic archdiocese's Web site, www.catharchdioceseokc.org.

The manifesto describes the immigration reform bill as "fiercely anti-immigrant” and "not reflective of values which respect people and families.”

While the pledge is being presented by the Catholic archdiocese, it was crafted by the Rev. Lance Schmitz, minister of social justice at Oklahoma City First Church of the Nazarene, and Rex Friend, a Quaker and immigration law attorney.

Schmitz said Thursday he hoped the pledge would raise awareness about the law among people of faith.

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