Le Journal

Several faith leaders called urgently for protecting the rights of worshippers while also expressing compassion for migrants after anti-immigration enforcement protesters disrupted a service at a Southern Baptist church in Minnesota. About three dozen protesters entered the church during Sunday service at the Cities Church in St. Paul, some walking right up to the pulpit, others loudly chanting “ICE out” and “Renee Good,” referring to a woman who was fatally shot on Jan. 7 by an ICE agent in Minneapolis during an immigration enforcement operation. One of the church’s pastors, David Easterwood, leads the local field office for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. One of the leaders of the protest and prominent local activist Nekima Levy Armstrong said she’s also an ordained reverend. In a statement, the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention called what happened “an unacceptable trauma.” “I believe we must be resolute in two areas: encouraging our churches to provide compassionate pastoral care to these (migrant) families and standing firm for the sanctity of our houses of worship,” Trey Turner, who leads the convention, wrote to The Associated Press on Monday. Cities Church belongs to the convention. “The interference was so significant that services were forced to end prematurely. Video footage captured by the protesters themselves and others show them shouting insults and accusations at youth, children, and families,” the statement said. The U.S. Department of Justice said Sunday it has opened a civil rights investigation. The recent surge in operations in Minnesota has pitted more than 2,000 federal immigration officers against a mobilized network of community activists and protesters. The Trump Administration and Minnesota officials have traded blame for the heightened tensions. “No cause — political or otherwise — justifies the desecration of a sacred space or the intimidation and trauma inflicted on families gathered peacefully in the house of God,” Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board, said in a statement. “What occurred was not protest; it was lawless harassment.” Ezell said his organization fully supports Jonathan Parnell, the pastor who was leading the disrupted service. Parnell is a missionary with Ezell’s group and serves dozens of Southern Baptist churches in the area. Cities Church did not return the AP’s requests for comment. U.S. Christians divided on immigration enforcement Christian voters and faith leaders in the United States are divided on the moral and legal dilemmas raised by immigration, including the presence of an estimated 11 million people who are in the country illegally and the spike in illegal border crossings and asylum requests during the Biden Administration. There are divergent opinions among and within Christian denominations on whether the imperative is to care for the stranger and the neighbor or to obey laws and emphasize security. Broadly, white evangelical churches have supported stronger enforcement, while the Catholic hierarchy has spoken strongly in favor of migrant rights. The Southern Baptist Convention is the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S. and has a conservative evangelical theology. Miles Mullin, who leads the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, said faith leaders can and often have led protests on social issues but that he urges a firm “red line” on actions keeping others from worshipping. “This is something that just shouldn’t happen in America,” Mullin said. “For Baptists, our worship services are sacred.” Federal protections for houses of worship Many faith leaders were dismayed when the Trump administration announced last January that federal immigration agencies could make arrests at churches, schools and hospitals, ending broader policies that protected sensitive spaces. While no immigration raids during church services have been reported, some churches, including in the Twin Cities, have posted…

Le Premier ministre a confirmé ce lundi le recours au 49.3. Les concessions faites au Parti socialiste ces derniers jours ont posé les bases d’un accord de non-censure

L’opposition réagit vivement à l’adoption du budget de l’État par l’utilisation de l’article 49.3 en contestant la légitimité du gouvernement

Le Premier ministre espagnol Pedro Sánchez a décrété trois jours de deuil national après la collision ferroviaire qui a fait au moins 40 morts en Andalousie