The Episcopal House of Bishops will meet in Arizona in September 15-21 for its regular fall meeting as planned:
Bishops to go ahead with Arizona meeting despite immigration law outcry
The Episcopal Church’s House of Bishops will meet Sept. 15-21 in Phoenix for its regular fall meeting as planned, including an optional pre-meeting trip to the U.S.-Mexican border, despite public outcry over Arizona’s recent enactment of the nation’s toughest immigration law and calls for a boycott.
“It’s an opportunity to be educated, to be informed and to make a public statement about solidarity with people that are victims in this, and there are victims on both sides, which is important to emphasize,” said Arizona Bishop Kirk Smith in a telephone interview. “We will accomplish a lot more by being here, learning, hearing and responding about it and standing in solidarity with people suffering instead of taking the easy way out by saying let’s go meet someplace else.”
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Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori’s office issued a statement, in consultation with Smith, saying: “It appears to be the wisest course of action not to pull out, but rather to go to Phoenix, encourage as many bishops as possible to join in the optional pre-meeting visit to the border, follow through with the HOB planning committee’s arrangements during the meeting to hear firsthand from speakers who will facilitate discussion on immigration and justice issues, and make a statement as a House regarding these issues.”
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Southeast Florida Bishop Leo Frade’s first reaction was to support the boycott, but he said he changed his mind in part because of the Coalition of Episcopal Latinos meeting …. in nearby Scottsdale.
On his blog Bishop Smith wrote yesterday, “I’ve dealt with bishops who wanted to boycott our House of Bishops meeting in Phoenix in September (and convinced them not to).” More:
I fully understand the frustration and anger on the part of many who support this law. There are victims on both sides of the border, those who live in fear of being deported and separated from their families, and those who live in fear of people invading their homes and trashing their property.