Bishop Earl Fernandes of the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio, expressed gratitude Jan. 15 for the Trump administration’s decision to allow foreign-born religious workers to continue their ministry in the U.S. without the requirement of a 1-year return to their countries of origin. The bishop also called on Catholics to press for a more “permanent” solution in the form of the Religious Workforce Protection Act.
In his Jan. 15 statement, Bishop Fernandes thanked the faithful in his diocese for their support for the foreign-born religious workers who serve there. He then expressed gratitude for the “Interim Final Rule affecting priests and religious who hold R-1 visas,” explaining the rule change “means that they will no longer need to return to their country of origin for an entire year but instead will need to return for only one week if the R-1 visa expires.”
Had the Trump administration not made the change, Bishop Fernandes wrote, 21 priests and 13 religious sisters would have been affected, “causing a disruption to the life of the Diocese.”
Already, “one priest and three religious were forced to leave the Diocese” in the past year, he continued. “This rule change provides some much-needed relief! We take comfort in knowing that sacramental and pastoral care will not be disrupted in our parishes, schools, hospitals, and prison ministries.”
“At the same time,” Bishop Fernandes continued, “I encourage all of the faithful to press for a permanent legislative fix and to support the Religious Workforce Protection Act.”
As CatholicVote has previously reported, Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and Bishop Brendan Cahill, chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Migration, have also endorsed the Religious Workforce Protection Act.
“In order to provide the full extent of the relief needed and truly promote the free exercise of religion in our country,” Archbishop Coakley and Bishop Cahill stated Jan. 14, “we continue to urge Congress to enact the bipartisan Religious Workforce Protection Act.”
The legislation “proposes broader and more permanent relief for religious organizations facing workforce shortages due to immigration backlogs,” CatholicVote reported.
In his statement, Bishop Fernandes thanked Rep. Mike Carey, R-Ohio, “for his support and action within the House of Representatives” to advance the Act. “I appreciate his willingness to meet with me and his help in introducing this legislation in the House. He listened attentively to our concerns and showed initiative in seeking a constructive solution.”
The bishop also thanked Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan “for his willingness to hear the concerns that surround this important legislation and how it would impact the Catholic faith community.”
Bishop Fernandes went on to say he had recently spoken with Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno, also a Republican, “about the vital importance of this issue and of the legislation for the faithful across not only Ohio but our country, allowing our priests and religious to continue to serve the people of God through their ministries.”
“Senator Moreno and I exchanged several calls and messages, and he intervened personally to work for the rule change that was issued yesterday,” Bishop Fernandes reported.
“I am deeply grateful for the commitment these representatives and others have made and continue to make so that our communities may continue to thrive with the assistance of missionary priests and religious,” the bishop added.
Bishop Fernandes reminded the faithful that foreign-born priests and religious labor on behalf of the Church throughout the U.S., and their work “is pivotal in helping us build a civilization of love, assisting in the growth of the virtues of solidarity and fraternity, and providing the sacramental and pastoral needs of our people, an increasingly diverse group from around the world.”
The bishop concluded by urging Catholics to “continue to push for the passage of the Religious Workforce Protection Act with your representatives,” and by asking for “continued prayers for all clergy and religious throughout our diocese and around the world, while offering prayers of gratitude for our civic leaders and for our priests and religious who continue to serve the members of our community.”
Readers can find Bishop Fernandes’ full statement here.
The text of the Religious Workforce Protection Act can be found here, and an explainer and endorsement from the USCCB can be found here.
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