Dubbed Champion by Some, Lawbreaker by Critics : Bishop’s Sanctuary Work Draws Heat

BROWNSVILLE, Tex. —  He’s called the champion of the poor by some, a lawbreaker by others.

For the last 14 years, Bishop John Fitzpatrick of Brownsville has been the spiritual leader of 500,000 Catholics, mostly Latinos, in the Rio Grande Valley.

His commitment to help poor farm workers has collided with others who say the church is mixing in politics. The trials of two diocese employees charged with transporting illegal aliens and the indictment of a priest on weapons smuggling charges have not helped, either.

But the bishop has no plans of backing down.

“It’s a little late to be transferred. I could resign or retire--for health reasons or whatever reasons, maybe I’ve done all I could and somebody else could do better--but I’m not thinking about that,” he said.

Fitzpatrick directs the efforts of more than 110 priests and 165 sisters in the 62 parishes of the diocese, which covers Starr, Hidalgo, Willacy and Cameron counties.

Composition of Diocese

He says his is the 15th-largest diocese in the country, composed mostly of poor farm workers who speak little English. But he says his biggest job in the coming years will be to find more clergy to serve the increasing number of people flocking to the region from the North.

“Right now we have one priest for every 4,500 Catholics. We’ll have one priest for every 12,000 to 15,000 Catholics in the year 2000,” he said.

The diocese’s problem, as Fitzpatrick sees it, is getting more priests. But the diocese’s problem, as others see it, is mixing church and social issues.

“There’s a small minority opposed to me,” the bishop said. “They’re vociferous, but despite that, we keep going on.”

Fitzpatrick has been an advocate of the poor since he came to the valley from Miami 14 years ago.

“I succeeded a very fine bishop. . . . He alienated a lot of people by opting to help farm workers to get better working conditions, better salaries,” Fitzpatrick said. “When I came, people were hoping I would be different, but I turned out to be the same.”

Salvadoran Refugees

Fitzpatrick has sought to fight not only for the farm workers, but also for Salvadorans who are fleeing their war-torn homeland.

“I’ve made statements people have not liked--for the sake of people who should get better,” he said.

In March, 1983, the diocese opened Casa Oscar Romero, a shelter for Central Americans in San Benito. It was named in memory of the archbishop of San Salvador who was assassinated while celebrating Mass in 1980.

In August, 1983, Jack Elder left his teaching job in San Antonio to direct the shelter. He and another volunteer at the shelter, Stacey Lynn Merkt, were convicted last week in Houston on charges of conspiring to smuggle and transport two Salvadorans last November.

Elder and Merkt are part of the sanctuary movement, which argues that the Salvadorans are political, not economic, refugees who should be allowed to stay in the United States.

The church-supported shelter is not a declared sanctuary, but has stirred a controversy. During pretrial hearings in Brownsville, anti-sanctuary movement protesters picketed outside the courthouse.

Mike Rodriguez, president of Concerned Citizens for Church and Country, criticized the bishop’s stance.

Accused of Being Coyote

“He admits Elder and Merkt are diocese employees, which means he is no different from an illegal operator, which makes him no better than a coyote,” Rodriguez said.

A coyote is the Spanish slang for a smuggler of illegal aliens.

“We don’t smuggle people in. Our intention is to take care of them when they’re here,” Fitzpatrick said. “I do not advocate my people doing that because they’ll go to jail.”

Fitzpatrick testified in Elder’s pretrial hearing in Corpus Christi. He said Christians are taught to help the poor and oppressed and that Elder was doing that. He now says his own critics should do the same.

“They forget that as Christians they have an obligation to feed the poor, no matter who they are,” he said.

Rodriguez said his group has about 200 members from across the valley who are opposed to the church mixing in politics.

The organization placed an advertisement in the three valley newspapers during Elder and Merkt’s pretrial hearing. The ad asked for valley residents to sign a petition calling for the Vatican to investigate Fitzpatrick and Archbishop Patrick Flores of San Antonio.

Would Welcome Inquiry

Fitzpatrick responded: “I’d be delighted if representatives from Rome came here and investigated our work. We’d be delighted.”

He said the Vatican would find nothing wrong and added:

“Our No. 1 job is to take care of the poor.”