Cardinal O’Malley Pushes For Peace In Syria, Immigration Reform

Dozens of Roman Catholic worshippers joined members of the clergy in Boston for a 4-hour prayer vigil for peace in Syria, joining those who answered Pope Francis' call and massed at the Vatican to push for an end to the bloodshed in the Middle East nation. 

Boston Archdiocese Cardinal Sean O'Malley joined the Mass during Saturday's prayer vigil in St. John's Seminary Chapel in Boston's neighborhood of Brighton.

The prayer vigils highlight opposition against proposed U.S.-led military action targeting Syria's ruling regime following the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack near Damascus.
The head of the Roman Catholic church in Boston is joining other bishops around the country this weekend to encourage worshippers to support comprehensive immigration reforms.

Cardinal Sean O'Malley says in a letter to the faithful that he supports the Roman Catholic Bishops' call for immigration reforms, including a path to citizenship for immigrants living in the country illegally.

He says establishing legal status without a path to citizenship ``leaves unprotected millions of people who have lived in the shadows for far too long.''   O'Malley says reform should be ``rooted in the principle of family unification.''

O'Malley is appealing for support from American Catholics to help write a new chapter in the nation's history.  The archdiocese asks priests to include O'Malley's statement in the bulletin, give it out as a flyer or include it in their homilies.  (Associated Press)