Catholic Bishops Blast GOP Texas Gov On Refugees

CNN reports:

All 16 of Texas’ Catholic bishops have issued a joint statement slamming Gov. Greg Abbott, who is Catholic, for announcing the state will bar refugees in 2020.

The bishops call Abbott’s decision “misguided” and say it “denies people who are fleeing persecution, including religious persecution, from being able to bring their gifts and talents to our state and contribute to the general common good of all Texans.”

“As Catholics, an essential aspect of our faith is to welcome the stranger and care for the alien,” the bishops say in the statement. Texas is home to about 8.5 million Catholics, nearly 30% of the state’s population. Abbott himself has often cited his Catholic faith to defend conservative policies.