Roman Catholic leaders in Orange and Los Angeles counties marked Ash Wednesday -- the start of a season of repentance and reflection -- with a plea to Catholics and others to commit themselves to immigration reform.
In Orange County, the church asked people to fast -- consuming liquids only -- for one day between March 26 and 30 as an appeal for citizenship opportunities for undocumented immigrants and reductions in visa application backlogs for the families of immigrants.
The church also called for a temporary worker program.
In Los Angeles, before 3,000 people at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Cardinal Roger M. Mahony said his focus for Lent would be the children of immigrants.
"They are innocents impacted by an unjust system that has failed and will continue to fail them and our society until true comprehensive reform is passed by Congress and the president," he said.
Mahony said he would travel to Washington in early March to encourage lawmakers to "take active steps" toward immigration reform.
Congress has been unable to come to an agreement on how to deal with the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States. President Bush called for immigration reform, including a guest worker program, in last month's State of the Union address.
At St. Boniface Catholic Church in Anaheim, Auxiliary Bishop Jaime Soto, a longtime champion of immigrant rights, proposed that parishioners fast to reflect on the problem.
"So much of the current debate on immigration has fostered a poisonous polemic that does little to bring any sense of security or hope to this anxious and confused world of ours," said Soto, speaking before 300 parishioners. "To this we propose a simple yet personal gesture of solidarity."
During Lent, which ends Palm Sunday, churchgoers are encouraged to make sacrifices while offering repentance. Fasting is typical.
To that end, Soto said he conceived the fast for immigration reform with other Orange County Catholic leaders who shared his concern about immigration issues.
Soto asked parishioners to fill out cards that will be sent to members of Congress, urging them to enact reforms. The Los Angeles Archdiocese conducted a similar postcard campaign last year. Soto said 15 of Orange County's 60 parishes had asked for the cards in recent weeks.
