the welcome mat

By Diogenes ( articles ) | Dec 30, 2007

An English bishop is talking about the proper attitude toward immigrants.

You already know what he's going to say, don't you? Immigrants should be welcomed. We should open our doors to them, greet them, make them feel accepted. Right.

Wrong. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor has a problem with these particular immigrants.

Oh, because there Muslims, right? And they're likely to undermine the Christian heritage of the British people?

Wrong again. They're Catholics. Disproportionately active Catholics. They come from Poland, bringing the habits of a pious people. Old-fashioned habits, like the blessing of homes at Christmas and food baskets at Easter, the Lenten Lamentations, the Forty Hours Devotion, the Divine Mercy prayers.

They don't speak the Queen's English, either. But that's not really the problem. Other immigrants have trouble with the language. The Poles are a special problem.

However, Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor said: "I'm quite concerned that the Poles are creating a separate church in Britain. I would want them to be part of the Catholic life of this country.

If Polish Catholics would just act like British Catholics, maybe the cardinal would be more comfortable. And by the same logic, if a group of French chefs move to England, we should make sure that their culinary offerings blend in with the ordinary standards of British cuisine.