Cardinal Rigali on health care for immigrants

From Cardinal Justin Rigali's * statement to mark Respect Life Sunday (Oct. 4):

"Many people insist that undocumented persons living and working in the United States should not be allowed in any new system to purchase health-care coverage, and that poor legal immigrants be denied coverage for the first five years they are in the United States. Do immigrants forfeit their humanity at the border? How can a just society deny basic health care to those living and working among us who need medical attention? It cannot and must not."

*Cardinal Rigali is the Archbishop of Philadelphia, and the chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities.