WASHINGTON — "Our faith calls us to pray, work, and advocate for protections that allow all laborers to thrive," said Archbishop Borys Gudziak and Bishop Mark J. Seitz in a joint reflection for Labor Day (September 2). The bishop chairmen called for a more just economy that honors the human dignity of all who labor, including those who have newly arrived in the country and those whose families have been here for generations. The bishops also addressed affronts to the dignity of children, whom some have identified as supplemental sources of labor amid widespread worker shortages.
"The Church offers a vision for the future that does not require our society to choose between a thriving economy, economic justice, dignified conditions for all workers, and safeguarding the most vulnerable among us," the bishops said, calling attention to the plight of those who work in industries without protections due to their immigration status.
Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia is chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Seitz of El Paso is chairman of the USCCB's Committee on Migration.
The full Labor Day statement is available here (Spanish). Read more about the Church’s teaching and advocacy on immigration and how the Catholic Campaign for Human Development has been supporting immigrant communities for over 50 years.